


charm

by volacious



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hufflepuff!Yuuri, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Rating May Change, Slytherin!Victor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-12 23:50:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9096049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/volacious/pseuds/volacious
Summary: Yuuri is now in his sixth year at Hogwarts and the victim of his secret affections, Victor, approaches him one day during Charms. Growing and changing isn't something Yuuri likes to do, but he soon realizes it's a crucial part to living.





	1. aparecium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is very likely going to be the longest I've written thus far. I put my heart and soul into the first chapter and I know it might seem all over the place, but I meant for it to be that way. I might, potentially, make filler fics here and there to provide you all with details you might deem important, but otherwise here we are! This was 25 pages in docs and honestly I'm extremely proud of myself. I have 0 patience most of the time.
> 
> Most of this is in Yuuri's POV, but it's all introduced by Phichit because I love my son and he just gives me a lot of life.
> 
> Now, some of the personalities may seem a bit OOC, Victor specifically. Due to the back story I've given him and his lack of as good of a support system as he had in the canon version (that is, if he had a similar BS to the one I've created) he's a bit less... flamboyant, for lack of a better word. He's quiet most of the time, but still a major tease and his excitement shines through when he's with Yuuri. I just changed him to match who I'd see him as after being through what I put him through (im a bad person). 
> 
> I also gave Phichit a bit more of a backbone, I guess you'd say, but he still has his dramatic flair and meddling ways, I promise. There are also aspects of the Harry Potter Universe that might have been altered, but I promise it's intentional.
> 
> Anyway, I'm trash. I love these nerds a lot and it's almost sad how much time I spent on this. It's un-beta'd and has only been edited by me, so please let me know of any mistakes! Enjoy.

“Yuuri! You don’t understand. He’s _gorgeous_ ,” Phichit groans, slumping against his seemingly indifferent friend, the chatter going on in the Great Hall enough to drown out his words; that was currently the only reason he was complaining to Yuuri.

Well, not necessarily complaining. It was more like obsessing. No, definitely not obsessing. Perhaps … admiring? Yes, admiring would do. His Japanese friend turned to look at him finally, giving up on trying to ignore Phichit in favor of his food.

“Aren’t _you_ the one who’s proclaimed yourself the ‘Doctor of Love’ on multiple occasions? Can’t you just waltz on over and ask him out on a date?” Yuuri huffed, though his tone was void of any annoyance. Phichit _knew_ that Yuuri liked when people talked about their problems with him, even if he didn’t have an answer.

“I’m the self-proclaimed ‘Doctor of Other People’s Love,’ but I fear when it comes to my own romantic life, I am nothing but an amateur,” He sighed dramatically, pressing his face into Yuuri’s side. He heard the other snort and bite at him, relishing in the yelp the raven-haired boy let out. “Yuuri~,” He cooed pleasantly, before lifting his face to gaze at the other innocently. “Don’t forget that I know of your little crush on you-know-who and I’m not talking about he-who-shall-not-be-named.”

The blush that rose on Yuuri’s face was priceless and he began to sputter unintelligibly as Guang-Hong joined them, taking a seat on the opposite side of Yuuri. Phichit sensed mischief and he leaned over the table somewhat, to get his eyes on their smaller friend.

“And why were you late for dinner, young man?” He questioned in a deep, scolding voice.

The fact that Guang-Hong started to blush too, made him almost proud of himself.

“My studying session with Leo ran late. He was helping me with my Potions homework, but I swear the teacher has it out for me or something. She _knows_ I barely have a grasp of the basics and I’m a sixth year!” The brunette explained, words hurried. Phichit hums in response, toying with the idea of pushing for more details, since he knew there was _something_ he wasn’t being told. He ultimately decided to let it slid. _This time_.

“Back to my gayness, Guang-Hong, have you heard of Seung-Gil?”

“We’ve had Herbology with him all semester, Phichit.”

“Don’t remind me, I feel absolutely gutted that I could have been ogling him this entire time!” He cried out dejectedly, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead and making it out as if he was going to faint. He was soon leaning back over the table, however, ignoring the fact that Yuuri was back to eating his food, before he continued his conversation. “Well, I have four classes in total with him _and_ in Potions this morning, I was assigned to be his partner. I swear there was more of my drool in the Wit-Sharpening potion than armadillo bile!”

Yuuri snorted at that and Phichit pinched his thigh, causing another yelp to leave the Japanese man’s lips. Guang-Hong giggled at Phichit, clearly amused by his antics, and wrapped his robe tighter around him.

“I think that’s a _bit_ of an exaggeration, Chu-Chu,” He stated, still in a fit of giggles.

“I promise you, it absolutely is not,” Phichit retorted, though he was laughing too.

The conversation remained lively throughout their entire meal, but they were soon discussing their classes, rather than their romantic interests. He was in the middle of complaining about his Astronomy homework, when a flash of silver caught his attention and he turned his head. Phichit turned back to his friends with a smirk on his face and he nudged Yuuri, who had finished his meal and was now working on his reading. The ebony-haired man looked up and quirked an eyebrow.

“It’s super romantic that, even though your tables are on _complete_ opposite sides of the room, he strains his pretty little neck to get a glimpse at his lover,” Phichit purred.

He watched as Yuuri quickly turned his attention to the Slytherin table, before shifting back around, his face once again red. He groaned and pressed his face into his book. Phichit took note that even his _ears_ were red.

“You should really just confess to him, because it’s clear he’s infatuated, and you guys would make a beautiful couple. I ship it so much.”

Guang-Hong hummed and nodded in agreement, still working on his plate of food, but remaining carefully tuned into the conversation.

Yuuri lifted his head and met Phichit’s gaze with a challenge in his eyes, the pupils amidst the burgundy hues slightly narrowed. “I’ll do it when you tell Seung-Gil that you’d gladly have his babies.”

It was Phichit’s turn to blush now and he did, glancing around to make sure that nobody was paying attention to them. Yuuri’s crush on Victor had become a not-so-secret thing after Kenjiro Minami had found out and spread the news like wild-fire, though not on purpose, and the fourth year had apologized profusely after he’d realized the effects. However, Phichit’s newfound thing for the British boy of Korean descent was exactly that, _new_ , and he didn’t fancy the idea of being the victim of what Yuuri had had to endure.

“That is _not_ fair, Mr. Katsuki and you know that!” Phichit exclaimed hurriedly. “You’ve been pining since first year and it is more than obvious that Mr. Nikiforov has the hots for you.”

It was an ongoing argument from there, the two going back and forth, despite the fact that there was no point. They argued harmlessly quite often, but it was only out of good fun. Eventually, they collapsed into each other giggling, Guang-Hong still quietly moaning as he ate his dinner.

***

Dinner soon came to an end and they found themselves back in their room, Emil already lounging on his bed, flipping through a brightly colored book that _definitely_ did not belong to the school’s library.

“How come you weren’t at dinner?” Guang-Hong asked as they entered, crossing the room to flop down on his own bed.

The blonde looked up from his book and smirked. “I was, just at the Gryffindor table instead of the Hufflepuff.”

“Were you torturing that poor Michele kid again?” Yuuri inquired, already shedding his robe and tossing it onto his bed.

“Mmm, torturing is a harsh word, Mr. Katsuki. I prefer _convincing_ ,” Emil replied lightly, flipping to the next page.

Phichit giggles from his place leaning against Guang-Hong’s bed, already scrolling through his instagram. He knew that he _technically_ wasn’t allowed to have a phone, but he also wasn’t supposed to have his hamsters on campus, and yet they sat squeaking on his end table. Besides, muggle technology was just _fascinating_ , even if it was considered mediocre by most wizard-folk.

“Emil, what’re you reading?” Phichit asked without looking up from his phone. It seemed as if none of them were capable of forming anything but questions that night. But, he was genuinely curious, as he’d never seen anything like it. He did come from a magic-using town after all and his parents were proud Purebloods, though that fact didn’t really matter to him. Emil was muggleborn and had been the one to introduce him to the internet, so he was sure there were more things he could be taught.

“A Batman comic, dear padawan. He’s a rather bland character, but it’s better than learning about the same famous wizards over and over,” Was the blonde’s response and Yuuri let out a noise of protest, since he was doing the exact thing Emil had just slandered.

The night was fairly relaxing after that. Yuuri spent his time studying and working on homework, making faint noises of distress here and there. Guang-Hong was soon threading fingers into Phichit’s hair and twirling it into small braids. Phichit, very obviously, took a selfie and posted it to every social media platform he’d made thus far. Emil crashed, unsurprisingly, before it was curfew. The rest of them followed suit once the announcement was made that all students were to be in bed or punishments would be dealt out.

***

“He’s staring again, Yuuri,” Guang-Hong whispered, covering one side of his mouth with his hand to keep others from reading his lips.

Yuuri looked up from where he was scribbling down notes, cursing the quill for being so _stupid_ ; six years and he still wished that they could use normal pens. His burgundy eyes quickly met those the color of the ocean as it was calm, but the contact only lasted for a split second, before his eyes darted back down to his notes.

“Now he’s smirking and I think it’s because you’re blushing,” His friend relayed, still using his hand to shield his lips.

Yuuri let out an exasperated sigh and gave up on his notes for the moment, throwing his head back, his shoulders curving over the back of his chair. Guang-Hong giggled at the other’s frustration, lightly poking his friends side.

“Mr. Ji, Mr. Katsuki, please pay attention and quit meddling around,” Professor Cialdini called, though his voice was light. It was no wonder Phichit got away with calling the man Ciao Ciao. He was way too easy-going. Despite the lightness of his words, both Guang-Hong and Yuuri found themselves blushing, muttering an apology that the teacher would never hear.

A few minutes passed and then Guang-Hong was leaning over again and whispering, “He’s staring.”

Yuuri pressed his face into the desk.

Thankfully, class went by fairly quickly after that. Yuuri had just shouldered his bag and was listening to Guang-Hong talk eagerly about his last class of the day, since he happened to share it with Leo, when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist.

“Would you mind if I were to steal your friend?” A smooth, accented voice asked, question obviously directed at Guang-Hong. The questioned boy shook his head vigorously, before flashing Yuuri a knowing smile, letting him know that he’d see him later in Astronomy.

Yuuri steeled himself and turned his gaze, not wanting to instantly make a fool of himself in front of Victor. “Hello,” He squeaked out upon meeting the other’s gaze, mentally beating himself up due to the lackluster greeting.

But, despite the embarrassing quality of his voice crack, Victor smiled. “Hi. You have Transfiguration now, right?” He asked and Yuuri nodded dumbly, his mouth slightly agape. “Well, come on then, you don’t want to be late. I’ll walk you,” He urged, tugging on Yuuri’s arm way too enthusiastically. Yuuri followed, but likely only because he was in shock.

The walk there seemed to take forever, despite the fact that the Charms and Transfiguration classes were nearly neighbors, and Yuuri was about to shuffle through the door when Victor grabbed him by his wrist again. He was soon pulled almost flush with the other, his cheeks surely red at the sudden closeness. Victor smiled down at him.

“I’m sure you know that there’s a Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor on Saturday. It’s the last of the season and one of your friends,” _Phichit_ , Yuuri immediately thinks, “told me that you haven’t gone to any of the games this year.”

Yuuri fidgeted under the other’s gaze, as if he was being accused of doing something wrong. “I-I spend most of my time doing homework and studying. And that’s not entirely true, since I’ve gone to all of the ones my house has played in.”

Victor hummed and let his thumb sweep over the skin beneath the opening of his robes. Yuuri couldn’t deny that it felt nice. “Well,” The silver-haired man began, pausing and wetting his lips with his tongue. “I would be incredibly honored if you would come to the game and watch me, even though your house isn’t participating.”

Yuuri shifted uncomfortably, not used to being in such close proximity to someone who wasn’t Phichit or Guang-Hong, but he eventually agreed. “Okay,” He managed to get out, his face aflame. He supposed that the embarrassing blush was worth the excited grin Victor now wore.

“Excellent!” The other exclaimed almost childishly, before he sobered considerably. “You wouldn’t mind if I came to pick you up after class, would you?”

Yuuri almost immediately shook his head and was cursing himself for answering so quickly, letting his nerves and excitement get the best of him. But, again, the grin was worth it. “Alright, I’ll see you then, _zvyozdochka_. Enjoy your class,” And then he was gone.

Yuuri let out a shaky breath before he entered the classroom, taking a seat all the way in the back for once. It was safe to say that he was unable to pay attention throughout the entire lesson, only brought back when Professor Baranovskaya started yelling at kids about _posture_. His leg bounced with both anxiety and anticipation. He desperately wanted to talk to Phichit or Guang-Hong, or even Emil, who wasn’t a very good listener. Maybe he’d end up asking for a cell phone, strictly for situations like this one. His parents found it odd that he hadn’t yet, anyway.

***

Yuuri was thrust out of his daze again when the shuffling of students packing up their things met his ears. He nearly fell from his seat in an effort to shove his things into his beg, messily throwing it over his shoulder. He accidentally bumped into someone on his way out the door and he briefly turned to apologize profusely, but was soon toppling over someone else. He heard a familiar giggle and was instantly relieved.

“Guang-Hong,” Yuuri breathed, quickly removing himself from the tangle of limbs and robes. “Sorry, I was distracted,” He laughed as he extended his hand, the other taking it quickly and hoisting himself up.

“It’s alright! Not like it’d be the first time, since you’re so clumsy,” Guang-Hong teased, leaning forward to hug Yuuri in a delayed greeting. Yuuri snorted and hugged him back, his eyes quickly catching onto the fact that somebody else was present.

 _Victor_. Of course he’d be around to see something like _that_. He let Guang-Hong go after a few more moments and, to his surprise, the other turned and grinned at Victor, before he turned back to Yuuri.

“We’re paired up in Divination class and he mentioned that he was going to walk you to your next class, so I asked if I could tag along! Since, we are in the same class,” Guang-Hong explained, a cheery smile on his face.

Yuuri was grateful that he wouldn’t have to be completely alone with the person he’d been not-so-low-key pining over for five years. Victor looked nothing but pleased with himself as they began walking, quickly sliding to the other side of Yuuri. Guang-Hong easily filled the silence, talking about the result of their tea readings, excitedly informing his friend that he’d gotten an apple. It was a sign of good knowledge and it gave Guang-Hong confidence that he’d do well in all of his classes that year. Yuuri didn’t necessarily believe in Divination, but if it made Guang-Hong happy, that was enough for him to not speak against it.

“Oh! And I saw a kite in Victor’s cup. That means wishes will come true, you know. I hope you wished for something good,” Guang-Hong added, peering over at Victor from his place by Yuuri’s side.

Yuuri couldn’t help but glance up at the taller man, who was currently smiling at his friend. His attention quickly shifted to Yuuri, however, and the smile never faltered. “Me too.”

***

Saturday came sooner than expected. The week was a mess of studying and homework, as usual, and Phichit’s relentless teasing. Yuuri now had dirt on him, though, so it wasn’t that difficult to dish it back. He’d gazed out the window to see that it had started to snow when he’d woken up and groaned, rolling over onto his side. If he hadn’t agreed to go for Victor, he would’ve fallen back asleep then and there, since standing out in the cold wouldn’t have been worth it. Now, it kind of was.

“Yuuri, wake up and go shower. You don’t want to keep your ‘Knight in Shining Quidditch Gear’ waiting, do you?” He heard Phichit croon from his side of the bed. “You too, Guang-Hong. Your lovey-dovey tutor boy is playing today, so _up_.”

Yuuri heard Guang-Hong shriek and rolled over onto his other side, laughing when he spotted the brunette on the floor, Phichit standing triumphantly on the opposite side of the bed. “You’re next Yuuri, if you don’t get up,” The dark-haired boy warned, pointing a stern finger at him.

Yuuri groaned and made a show of getting out of bed and walking to his wardrobe. He decided to forego the normal attire he wore to classes, seen as how it wasn’t exactly warm enough for _him_ to wear if it was snowing outside. He grabbed for a pair of pants, a thick and soft maroon sweater, some fuzzy socks he knew were too big, but they were warm, and a fresh pair of underwear before he made his way to the showers.

When he came back, Guang-Hong was lying on his bed, fully dressed and adorning Leo’s red and gold scarf around his neck. Yuuri didn’t ask about it, since it certainly wasn’t the first time he’d seen him wear it, but it still raised suspicion in him that something more was going on between the two of them. Yuuri pulled on his coat, a hat, his winter boots, and his house scarf after some insistent urging from Phichit, and they were quick to leave, but not before Phichit snapped a couple selfies.

They made their way to a section that consisted purely of members from their house, all bundled up and waving various small flags to indicate who they were rooting for. Hufflepuff almost always cheered on Gryffindor unanimously, but since today was the final game and tensions were high, it was pretty evenly split.

Yuuri was already huddled close to both Guang-Hong and Phichit who teased him about being a total wimp when it came to the cold. His only response was to grumble and move closer, sure that his nose was already cherry red with the way the wind was whipping around. The stands were fairly quiet until the players flew out, then a surging roar left all of the students and teachers gathered there. Even Yuuri found himself cheering, hyped up by the atmosphere of the pitch. He forgot how fun these games could actually be.

Guang-Hong was soon pointing excitedly to Leo as he took his place in front of the goal posts, shouting encouragement that he knew the other wouldn’t hear. Yuuri smiled as Phichit snapped a picture and continued shouting, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet, his pent up energy obvious to anyone that looked at him.

Yuuri’s attention was soon grabbed by a quick dash of silver hair, as the Slytherin Seeker positioned himself a bit higher than the rest of his teammates. Professor Feltsman soon made his way out to the center of the field, dragging along a shaking chest with him. His words were loud, echoing throughout the stadium with the use of a spell, so that even the Keepers could hear him. It took only seconds for the Bludgers and Snitch to be released, soon followed by the Quaffle that was launched into the air by Yakov himself.

The game was extremely fast paced, Yuuri always seemed to forget that, even though it could sometimes take hours for either team to win. His attention was on Victor for most of the game, watching as he simply sat on his broom, dodging the Bludgers when need be. His gaze kept flicking to the Gryffindor seeker, likely to make sure he hadn’t caught a glimpse of the fast, gold ball.

Gryffindor scored first, much to Guang-Hong’s delight, and Yuuri cheered too, because Leo was his friend and he’d feel bad if he didn’t. They scored twice more before Victor actually moved, flying forward towards something that was invisible to everyone in the stands. The Gryffindor seeker soon took the hint and was on Victor’s tail.

Yuuri didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until everyone started to shout as Slytherin finally scored. His eyes had darted away for a brief second to watch as Leo threw the Quaffle back into play and when he looked back he realized that he’d completely lost sight of both Seekers. Phichit seemed to pick up on his confusion as his gaze darted around, searching for the two bodies, and quickly tapped Yuuri on the shoulder. Yuuri turned his gaze to him and was surprised when the other pointed down. Of course they’d slipped beneath the beams that separated the field from the stands, out of sight from everyone.

Anxiety pooled in his stomach, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared when Victor shot straight up into the air, the Gryffindor seeker nowhere in sight. He shivered at the thought of how cold it must be, flying around on a broom with nothing more than your Quidditch gear to keep you warm. He swallowed thickly when Victor disappeared into the thick clouds, hand outstretched as he reached inevitably for the snitch.

Slytherin scored again, leaving them ten points behind Gryffindor, but Victor was still nowhere to be seen. But, soon, his broom was. It was seen careening towards the ground and a few moments later, Victor after it, one hand closed tightly, while the other reached out for the device that would keep him from falling to his death. The whole stadium became eerily quiet, even the Gryffindor team had become muted at the display. Everything seemed to move slow, everyone holding their breath.

His hand wrapped around the broom and he seated himself onto it, before harshly pulling up, to avoid colliding with the ground. He was too close, however, and the tail end of his broom caught, sending him flying forward into the snow. The stadium remained quiet as he pushed himself up, but when he lifted his hand up into the air, the silence was broken and an overwhelming amount of noise left nearly every individuals mouth. Even Guang-Hong was cheering, clapping his hands together, with glee apparent on his face.

“Victor Nikiforov has caught the Golden Snitch. Slytherin wins!”

***

Yuuri watched as Guang-Hong comforted Leo, reassuring him that he’d played the best game he could, his arms wrapped around the pouting American. Phichit silently took a picture, before he shrieked and ran over to the two of them, talking about ship names and wedding ideas, much to the dismay of Guang-Hong, who was blushing furiously.

“I hope I didn’t frighten you too much.”

Yuuri started at the voice that was extremely close, turning on his heel to gaze up at the only person he knew that possessed that particular accent. He swallowed at the sight of the man before him. His wind-swept hair was attractively messy and his cheeks were a light shade of pink that looked nice against the pale canvas of his skin. Yuuri quickly shook his head to both rid himself of his thoughts and let Victor know that he, in fact, hadn’t scared him. Even if that was a total lie.

“O-of course not. You’ve done something like that before anyway, I think it was during my third year,” He assured, but was soon blushing. Now, he sounded creepy and weird. Who’d ever remember something like that from so long ago? And about a complete stranger, nonetheless?

Victor, however, didn’t seem fazed and only chuckled, bringing a hand up so he could trace Yuuri’s cheekbone with his finger. Yuuri froze under the contact, staring up at the other with wide eyes, the touch so light that he almost didn’t believe it was there.

“You’re so cute when you blush, Yuuri,” Victor breathed out and pulled his hand away, shoving it back into the pocket of his coat.

***

“He said you were cute?” Phichit asked again, for the third time in the span of thirty seconds. Yuuri nodded and buried his red face into his pillow. “He called you cute! You’re destined to be together, I’m sure of it. Make sure he knows he has to ask for _my_ blessing before he can propose to you,” His friend chortled excitedly, flipping through his cellphone. Yuuri groaned in response, wrapping his arms tighter around his pillow.

“I’m sure I’m not the first person he’s called cute. He’s got a ton of fans, after all,” Yuuri murmured, letting his self-conscious thoughts get the better of him.

Phichit sighed and prodded at his friend’s side in an effort to get him to lift his face from his pillow. It worked, briefly, but his face was once again hidden in the dark fabric. “Yuuri, he’s been single his entire time at Hogwarts _and_ he didn’t even have a date when the Yule Ball came around, despite the fact that he was the Hogwarts champion. Don’t sell yourself short, because I think you’re pretty _sexy_.”

Yuuri’s head shot up at that and his blushed seemed darker, sending Phichit into a bout of laughter. “You’re awful,” The raven-haired boy whined, but a smile now decorated his face.

“I’m your best friend anyway,” Phichit said through his fit of giggles, poking Yuuri in the side again.

***

Yuuri’s Sundays were always spent in the library. Most of the time, Guang-Hong, Leo, and Phichit tagged along, but they’d decided to hang out in the Hufflepuff common room instead. He’d heard that Phichit was devising a master plan to approach Seung-Gil just before he’d left and had laughed, knowing that Leo and Guang-Hong would be sitting there for hours.

He’d ended up foregoing studying, deciding that his brain would end up melting if he read about Burdock Muldoon or Morgan le Fay one more time, and was instead doing some light reading. It was a muggle book, one that his parents had sent with him at the beginning of the year, convinced that he’d enjoy it. He was for the most part, though some of the mythology present seemed a bit botched to him.

He’d curled himself up in a chair, holding his head up with his hand, opposite arm outstretched so it was easier for him to read. He was so immersed in the fictional world that he didn’t realize someone had approached, until a hand rested on the small of his back. He started and turned quickly, his book falling closed without any sort of marker to indicate which page he’d left off on, and his glasses slid to the end of his nose.

Victor.

“Oh, um, hi Victor,” Yuuri stuttered out, pushing his glasses up where they belonged. “I didn’t know you came to the library on Sundays too. Not that it’s surprising! You are incredibly intelligent and, and,” He nervously babbled out, only quieting when Victor pressed a finger to his lips.

“I find the library to be quite a drag, to be honest with you. But, I went to your common room in an effort to find you - it’s really much too easy to get in, they should change that - and your friend, Phichit I believe, told me you’d be here. So, here I am,” The older Slytherin explained, pulling his finger slowly from the other’s mouth.

Yuuri nodded, unable to form a coherent response, and watch as Victor slid into the chair beside him. His slender fingers reached for and soon wrapped around the book Yuuri had been reading, flipping it over with an inquisitive look on his face. “This is a good series. I quite enjoyed it when it first came out,” Victor commented, letting his hand smooth over the cover of the book.

“Y-you read muggle books?” Yuuri asked. He’d heard that Victor came from a Pureblood family who despised non-magic folks. That he was from one of those families who thought that only Purebloods should be able to attend any of the Wizarding Schools. To his surprise, Victor laughed and placed the book back down on the table, turning his chair so he could look directly at Yuuri.

“Most muggleborns don’t get their hands on Wizarding books until they go to a Wizarding school, you know,” He replied nonchalantly, tilting his head as if to gauge Yuuri’s reaction. He was probably disappointed, because there wasn’t one at first, as Yuuri hadn’t fully absorbed what the other meant. But, when it clicked, he was staring at the other in shock.

“W-wait you’re a - you’re a muggleborn?” Yuuri whispered loudly, not wanting to spread the information if it was meant to be kept quiet, but he let his shock get the best of him for a moment. “Not that that’s bad or anything, of course not. It’s just -.”

“The rumors, yes I know. The school apparently came to a collective decision that there’s no way I could be anything less than Pureblood. I’m sure there’d be a riot if they discovered otherwise,” Victor hummed pleasantly, letting his hair fall into his eyes.

“So, nobody else knows?”

“Well, of course a few select people know. My closer housemates figured it out on their own, but you’re the first Hufflepuff I’ve ever told. I hope you feel honored,” The Russian teased, delighting in the way Yuuri was blushing.

“I do! I promise, uh, that I do. Thank you for telling me?” Yuuri murmured out unconfidently, letting his hands sink beneath his sweater, in an attempt to warm his somewhat shaking digits.

“I was only teasing you, _milaya moyna_ ,” Victor purred and Yuuri shivered at the sound of Russian rolling off his tongue, even if he didn’t know what it meant. It was only a moment later that his hands were pulled from beneath the light fabric of his sweater and into the warm hands of the man in front of him. He resisted the urge to squeak at the sudden contact and settled for letting out a quiet, surprised noise. “Your hands are rather cold, Yuuri,” Victor seemed to have decided after several long moments of rubbing some warmth back said hands. “You’re far too delicate to survive a harsh winter in Russia.”

“I am not delicate!” Yuuri protested, getting a little ahead of himself, voice loud, but his hands remained where they were. He flushed at his sudden outburst and murmured an apology, watching as Victor smiled warmly at him.

“This just means I’ll have to stick around to keep you warm at all times!” Victor exclaimed gleefully, tugging slightly on Yuuri’s hands until he was able to wrap the other in an awkwardly positioned hug. The arm of the chair was left to dig into Yuuri’s stomach.

“W-what?” Yuuri muttered out, a bit stunned. He let himself melt into the hug, despite the line of wood pressing against his stomach. Victor was oddly warm and the library was never properly heated, so he decided he could allow himself to bask in the other for as long as he held onto him.

When Victor pulled back, he found himself a bit disappointed, but his hands still remained in the firm and warm grasp of the other’s hands. “So, Yuuri,” The pale-haired man began, thumbs rubbing circles into the top of Yuuri’s hand. “Tell me everything about you.”

“Huh?”

“I want to know everything about you. Your hometown, your family, your friends. What you like and don’t like, what you do when you’re not being an absolutely wonderful student. As long as you don’t mind telling me, of course.”

This was the first time Yuuri had ever seen Victor nearing _sheepish_ and it was safe to say he was at a loss for words. He liked that Victor was blushing now as he asked for something that was seemingly simple. “Um, okay. Well…”

***

“I knew Phichit before I even started school here. Him and his family showed up at our Onsen one day and we were just kind of made to be best friends, I guess. When I got on the train and saw him, I swear I almost fainted from relief. I thought I wasn’t going to know anybody here, but there he was. Then I met Guang-Hong and Leo… I’m just really lucky to be their friend,” Yuuri smiled slightly as they walked towards the Great Hall. The smile dropped from his face and he looked up at Victor a bit sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders a bit to make himself smaller. “Sorry, that was probably really boring to listen to.”

Victor shook his head vigorously, a permanent smile stuck on his face. “Actually, I quite liked it. If they’re important to you, then I want to know all about them too. I said everything, Yuuri, and that’s what I meant,” He reassured the other and came to a halt at the large, opened doors. Dinner had already begun and despite the fact that he’d been eating like this for nearly six years, it still made anxiety pool in his stomach.

“I’ll see you in Charms tomorrow, yes?” Victor asked, his face hopeful, despite the fact that he already knew the answer.

“Mhm,” Yuuri nodded. He was about to turn and head over to his table, when Victor grabbed him and Yuuri turned his attention back to the other. He felt his face flush as the other leaned closer, his face an inch or so away from Yuuri’s. It felt like hours before Victor let his lips brush across his cheek and then disappeared with a final goodbye.

Yuuri let his hand drift across the spot that had just barely been touched by Victor’s lips, before he felt his face heat up for the thousandth time that night. He hurried over to his table and spotted Guang-Hong and Phichit with ease. He was able to squeeze in between Guang-Hong and another housemate, before Phichit shrieked.

“He kissed your cheek!” His best friend exclaimed, reaching over to excitedly shake Yuuri’s shoulder.

“Shh,” Yuuri hurriedly tried to quiet his friend, already turning redder at the stares being tossed their way.

“I’d like to thank the Gods of Gay for making this happen and for blessing me with this sweet, sweet pairing. Soon you’ll be making sweet, sweet love and will bless me with the marriage of my first-born,” Phichit clasped his hands together, as if praying, and tossed his head back dramatically.

“We’re the same age, Phichit,” Yuuri protested, leaning frustratedly into Guang-Hong who was giggling uncontrollably. “And he kissed my cheek, it’s not like he _proposed_.”

“That’s the first step, Yuuri, don’t take this away from your mother!”

Yuuri simply rolled his eyes and made himself a plate.

***

“You’d better not be late to our practice today, Victor, or I’ll kick you from one of the towers!”

Yuuri somewhat froze and looked over at Guang-Hong, who shrugged and seemed just as confused. They slipped into the classroom and watched as a thin, short, and blonde boy standing with his face mere inches from Victor’s, ears red with anger, shouted. Victor, however, looked unfazed and reached a hand forward to boop the younger boy on the nose.

“Yuri, if you keep frowning like that, your pretty porcelain face will be covered in wrinkles,” Victor warned, an easy smile on his face. Yuri, that must have been the name of the small, angry being, snarled and stomped his foot against the ground.

“You promised that you’d help me make sure that I’d have the seeker position when you’re gone,” Yuri cried, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We still have time, dear Yuri. Now, get to your class before you’re marked late,” Victor motioned with his hand for him to get going and the other Yuri growled, before whirling and making his way towards the door. Guang-Hong and Yuuri had been looking on at the incident, much like the rest of the class, but they hadn’t looked away when he’d gone stomping in their direction.

The blonde paused briefly and sneered. “What’re _you_ looking at?”

Both Guang-Hong and Yuuri began sputtering in explanation, but the blonde disappeared out the door with a smug look on his face. They both stared at the empty door for some time, until Victor was standing in front of their table, and they instead turned to look at him.

“Who was _that_?” Yuuri asked, already blushing as he thought about the events that had conspired yesterday.

“Yuri Plisetsky. A fifth year who’s after my position as Seeker when I leave. He’s persistent, but I suppose I once was too,” Victor hummed fondly in answer, drumming his fingers on the desk.

Yuuri and Guang-Hong nodded almost in unison, though Guang-Hong was smirking slightly, watching the interaction between the two.

“How did you sleep, _krasota_? You look a little tired,” Victor questioned, pushing a hand through Yuuri’s mussed hair. The raven-haired boy leaned into the touch, before he realized what he was doing and then he shrugged, ears red.

“Phichit kept me up most of the night with his social media antics. It happens at least twice a week, so I’ve gotten used to it,” Yuuri replied and shrugged again.

“Mmm, well,” Victor began, “if you ever feel the need, my bed is always open for you to get some rest in.” Yuuri’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something, but instead just nodded his head in confirmation that he’d heard what the other said.

“Mr. Nikiforov, please take your seat,” Professor Cialdini called, his voice a welcome distraction considering the topic of conversation. Victor winked at Yuuri, before he sauntered back to his seat, sliding next to his deskmate.

Yuuri turned to Guang-Hong who was smiling cheekily at him. “If you tell Phichit, I will expose you to Leo,” Yuuri threatened weakly, shoulders drooping in what seemed like defeat already. Phichit was going to find out one way or another, but that didn’t mean they had to speed along the process.

Guang-Hong blushed and opened his mouth, as if to retort, but whatever he was about to say was forgotten as the Professor started the lesson.

***

Winter break rolled around sooner than expected and, for the most part, Yuuri was sad about it. He loved his family with all that he was and he was most certainly looking forward to seeing them after several months, but he was going to miss his friends and well… Victor.

In the last month or so since they’d first interacted, Yuuri had spent an ample amount of time with the other and had started to form a sort of dependency on him, even if there was currently no romantic relationship going on. He wasn’t sure whether Victor viewed him in that way or not, so he had yet to bring it up. Just the mere thought of it made him anxious.

He’d learned quite a bit about the other and could confidently tell anyone the Russian’s birthday, his favorite color, and the more mundane things; but he also knew of Victor’s family and home life, the more personal side to him, and that was something he’d never share with anyone. With that information stowed away in his brain, he was sure that Victor would be staying at Hogwarts for the entirety of his break and that saddened Yuuri, but he figured that Victor was used to it at that point.

They were standing out in the courtyard, students saying goodbye to peers and teachers alike. Yuuri was currently wrapped in a hug that made it difficult to breathe by both Guang-Hong and Phichit, both of them reminding him of various things.

“Don’t you dare forget to get a phone over break,” and “Please be sure to write me! My town is so quiet and sleepy during the Holidays.”

Yuuri reassured them both that he’d remember the most important things in their requests. He bit his lip, knowing that they still had the train ride together, but he had to say his goodbyes now, due to the fact that he’d be sprinting to get on the train back home. He wouldn’t have time. They finally pulled away and ran off to find Leo, who was also staying at Hogwarts for the Holidays, since his family was working in a different country. He smiled at the sight of the two launching themselves at the startled American.

Yuuri felt slim, but sturdy arms wrap around his shoulders and he doesn’t jump, having gotten used to the action, and instead turned his head slightly to catch a glimpse of expressive eyes and silver hair. “You’ll write me too, won’t you, _sakhar_?” The words are softly mumbled against the shell of his ear and Yuuri shivers, before nodding.

“Of course. I’m sure you’d be lost without me,” Yuuri chirps, letting a cheerful facade hide the fact that he was getting emotional with all of the goodbyes. He can feel his eyes burning, a sign that he’s going to cry, but he knows he’s stronger than that and refuses to let himself sway. Not this time.

He feels Victor’s smile against the skin behind his ear and he soon is spinning in his arms, wrapping his own around Victor’s middle. He squeezes his eyes shut and lets the other’s warmth cradle him one last time until he returns from Japan. “Please don’t forget to write back,” He pleads in a small voice that’s slowly revealing how he’s actually feeling. Victor murmurs a promise that he won’t, along with soft words of encouragement, to keep Yuuri from spilling over the edge.

Yuuri finally pulls back enough to look up at the other, who’s smiling down at him. “I’ll see you in two weeks. When you get back, I’ll finally beat you in a duel, yeah?”

Yuuri snorts at that. “In your wildest dreams,” He teases and then he’s completely unwrapped from Victor and Phichit and Guang-Hong are making their way back towards him.

***

 _It’s good to be home_ , Yuuri thinks as he slips through the front door, the Onsen as bright and lively as it always is during the Holiday season. It’s busy, he can already tell by all of the people sitting in the dining room, drinking to their heart's content, the TV loudly barking out quick words in Japanese. He sighed, suddenly at ease after the stressful day of travelling, but he was soon brought out of his peaceful moment as arms wrapped him in a crushing hug.

“Welcome home, Yuuri,” His mother cooed loudly in Japanese. “How was Hogwarts? Did you do well on your final exams? Oh, we’re so proud of you.”

Yuuri laughed and dropped his bag so he could return her hug, murmuring a greeting and answers to her questions. He’d missed having this sort of parental support backing him up along the way, even if Phichit and Guang-Hong did a fairly good job of replicating it. There was nothing like the actual thing, he supposed.

He greeted his father and older sister, who played at being disinterested, but his mother had whispered to him how excited she’d been for the past week. He stuck around to chat with the three of them for a few moments, before he excused himself and carried his things to his bedroom.

It was always odd being back home and he didn’t necessarily realize it until he stepped foot into his bedroom, that was, really, no longer his. His dorm at Hogwarts was his, this was just a space reserved for him. It hadn’t changed since he last saw it, besides a few boxes that had been stacked in the corner. His family must have run out of room in the storage area. He didn’t mind.

His walls were still plastered with posters of various Quidditch players that he couldn’t tell you anything about now, along with various Gryffindor merchandise. As a child, he’d so desperately wanted to be in the house the rest of his family had been sorted into. The Sorting Hat, however, had said there wasn’t a lick of Gryffindor in him and proceeded to put him in Hufflepuff. The Hat was right, Yuuri often thought in hindsight.

He set his things down on the floor and slid into his desk chair, flipping on the lamp that was the only source of light in his small bedroom. He flipped open the laptop that had likely remained dormant for the past few months and listened as it whirred to life, until it made the telltale noise that it was fully turned on. He did a bit of browsing on the Hogwarts forum that had been a project of Phichit’s during their second year, already feeling a bit homesick.

There were only a few members who actively posted on the website, one of them being Phichit himself, and Yuuri delighted at the sight of a picture of his friend with his parents. He looked happy. It filled Yuuri with warmth. He closed the device a moment later and pushed himself out of the chair, moving across the room to flop ungraciously onto his bed. It was cold and he couldn’t help but wish that a certain someone was there to help him warm it.

***

The two weeks of break were a never ending whirl of activity. He spent most of his time helping with the Onsen, making sure the baths were clean at the end of the day, providing guests with what they thought they needed, aiding his mother with the cooking. He was surprised he and his family had anytime to celebrate on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

Yuuri did end up getting a phone, along with a few other things he’d asked for. He was never much into receiving gifts and preferred to give them when he got the chance. He’d even sent out a few with his most recent letters, hoping that they’d arrive on time for his friends.

The first thing he did with the cellphone was put his number on the Hogwarts forum. It didn’t surprise him that Phichit was the first to message him, sending paragraph upon paragraph of nothing but emojis and key smashes. Yuuri was laying curled up in his bed, laughing at his friend as they exchanged text messages on various subjects.

Guang-Hong and Leo messaged him next, the former explaining gleefully how he’d finally managed to convince his parents to get him a cellphone, the latter sending a quick message to state who he was. Phichit tossed them all into a group chat and it was a flurry of messages and memes that Yuuri didn’t understand, but it made him happy nonetheless.

He had to admit that the letters he’d sent to and received from Victor weren’t quite enough to sate his irrational need to see the other, but it was enough to tide him over. They shared what they’d done in the days before writing the letter and the day of, while exchanging minute details about themselves they thought the other should know. Victor was still full of questions and Yuuri couldn’t find it in himself to mind. He answered all of them as best he could.

Despite the initial sadness, Yuuri found that his gut was broiling with happiness as he said goodbye to his family, not able to keep his tears at bay. He was smiling as he left for the train station, however, though there were wet trails running down his face.

***

“Yuuri!” A voice shrieked and Yuuri turned just in time to see Phichit barrelling towards him, arms outstretched and luggage left behind. He lets out a strained noise of surprise as the other’s body slams into him, knocking the wind out of him for a brief moment. Once he recovered from the shock of the contact, his arms wrapped around Phichit and he couldn’t help but laugh, glad to finally see his friend after what felt like a lifetime.

“Thank you for sending that selfie stick! I didn’t even know they existed and when I opened it I swear, you can ask my mother, I screamed for a full five minutes. And it has tiny hamsters all over it? Yuuri, if I wasn’t totally in love with someone else I would get down on one knee and propose to you,” Phichit babbled out in the span of thirty seconds.

Yuuri nodded, a bit dazed, and smiled giving his friend one last squeeze before letting him go. “You’d better grab your luggage or you’ll be leaving the selfie stick here,” He warned and Phichit quickly hurried over, dragging his trolley with him.

They stood discussing their breaks with one another, despite the fact that they’d done the exact same thing over text, before Phichit abruptly stopped talking and stared to his left with narrowed eyes. “What. A. Traitor,” He hissed, each word punctuated.

Yuuri turned his gaze and smiled at the sight of Guang-Hong nestled into Leo’s side, the latter’s arm wrapped around the former’s waist. They both had an earbud in and Guang-Hong was staring up at Leo dreamily, but the American was too lost in the music to notice. “They probably didn’t want you _meddling_ ,” Yuuri hummed, his tone teasing as he turned back to his friend.

Phichit gasped dramatically. “Me? _Meddle_? I have never done such a thing and I’m _offended_ that you would say something like that. We’re supposed to be best friends,” He pouted, but a hand was clasped over his heart, to show that he’d been wounded.

Yuuri snorted and bumped his hip into his friend’s, murmuring for him to shut up fondly.

They were soon boarding the train, searching for some empty seats and were relieved to find one with just Leo and Guang-Hong in it. Now was the time for Phichit to call them out, while Yuuri slid onto the seat next to the window.

“I cannot believe I’ve been betrayed by my own blood,” Phichit cried, gesturing towards the lack of space between the now blushing couple. Yuuri snickered from his place and huddled further into the wall, peering out the window.

The trip was mostly peaceful, besides for the parts where Phichit shouted at random, re-expressing his pain at not having been told immediately. Guang-Hong ended up falling asleep at some point and Yuuri couldn’t help but follow suit.

***

“Yuuri, wake up! Your lover boy is waiting,” Phichit shouted gleefully, effectively pulling Yuuri from his nap. He was groggy and disoriented, but when he glanced out the window and spotted Victor standing at the station, impatiently glancing around, all traces of sleep were forgotten. He didn’t realize just how much he had missed Victor until that moment.

He pushed his way out of the train, forgetting his luggage for the moment, and was soon off, searching for a head of silver. When he spotted it, he made his way towards it, slipping past people and politely apologizing to those he ran into accidentally. He soon collided with a firm mass that was all too familiar.

Yuuri looked up, excitement forgotten and shyness taking over, his face red. “Hi,” He greeted in a small voice. The greeting was quickly followed by a high-pitched squeak as he was tugged into a constricting hug. “V-Victor. Can’t breathe,” He wheezed out, pushing lightly on the other’s abdomen.

He heard a cheery laugh that filled his chest with warmth and he looked up to see Victor smiling down at him. “I apologize, _moy krasota_ ,” The Russian breathed out, his voice full of delight. “I can’t seem to help myself when I’m around you.”

Yuuri’s blush deepened and he pressed his face into the other’s chest in an effort to hide it. He felt a hand card through his hair and he made another noise of surprise at the feeling, but didn’t remove his face from the dark material of Victor’s coat.

“Your hair is longer,” Victor hummed and Yuuri felt him toying with the ends, before running his hand down until it was on the back of his neck. “I like it.”

“I was too busy to get it cut,” Yuuri murmured as he pulled back slightly, shivering as Victor’s hand slid to rest on his spine instead. “Especially with all of your letters.”

Victor’s smile brightened at that. “I’m glad you spent your free time answering me rather than getting your beautiful hair cut. I must be a priority,” Victor teased in return, leaning down to press his nose to Yuuri’s hairline.

“Yuuri, you’d better get your luggage before the train leaves,” He heard Phichit screech and he turned to see his friend’s approaching.

At the warning he let go of Victor and made his way back onto the train briefly, returning with his backpack and suitcase. He walked over to Victor who insisted on carrying his backpack for him. It looked ridiculous draped over Victor’s broad shoulders, since it was suited for Yuuri’s, which were far thinner. He laughed to himself and brushed the other off when he asked what was funny.

The Great Lake was still thickly frozen over, which meant they would use horse drawn carriages to get back to the school, rather than boats. It was freezing for Yuuri which, naturally, meant he curled into Victor’s side as much as he could. While they waited to arrive at the school they discussed Victor’s break and what he’d done while the school was mostly empty and barren of activity. Yuuri was surprised to find that he’d spent most of his time in the library, while also training with the other Yuri, who’d become adamant that they train everyday while they didn’t have classes.

“But, you don’t like the library. It’s too quiet,” Yuuri commented, eyebrows brought together in confusion.

“I like it now. It reminds me of you,” Was Victor’s blush inducing answer.

***

Two or so months later, Yuuri was settled on the sofa in the Hufflepuff common room, trying to distract himself with studying. But, his worries kept pushing to the forefront of his mind, driving him mad. Victor hadn’t been in any of their classes or at any of their meals. The Headmistress had entered all the classes he’d shared with the Russian and muttered something to the teachers, before leaving as quickly as she came. Nothing his friends had said could reassure him that everything was okay.

It was nearing curfew, he knew that, and Guang-Hong and Phichit had retired to their room, but Yuuri wasn’t going to be able to sleep. Not if he didn’t know what was going on. He had closed his book and was about to leave to make his way to the dungeon to get into the Slytherin common room, when he heard footsteps echoing towards him.

Messy pale hair and red rimmed eyes met his gaze as Victor came into view. He was in a state of disarray that Yuuri had never seen him in before and it made him almost uncomfortable to see him that way. Their eyes met and Victor wasted no time in approaching him.

Yuuri pushed himself up on the couch, swinging his legs off to rest them on the ground, a frown settled on his face. “Victor, what hap-.”

Hands were soon wrapped around the back of his neck and he was pulled forward until wet lips were pressed to his. Yuuri was briefly distracted by how warm his lips were and the fact that this was the first time they had ever properly kissed. He wanted nothing more than to get lost in the other, but the taste of salt on his tongue reminded him that there were more pressing matters.

Yuuri pulled away with a bit of effort, Victor continuously trying to close the gap between them, his fingers curling into the hair at the nape of the other’s neck. When Yuuri was finally able to look at him fully, he saw that Victor’s eyes were shut tight, his mouth a quivering line. Tears slipped from his closed eyes and trailed down his cheeks, sliding down his neck and beneath his shirt. Yuuri stared at him for a few long, silent moments, trying to figure out how to approach the situation, when Victor saved him from messing anything up.

“She sent me a letter over break, talking about how everything was okay again. She wanted me to go back to St. Petersburg for the remainder of our time off. She practically begged for me to reply, to give her an answer,” Victor managed to get out, his voice shaking. Yuuri hadn’t moved his gaze, despite the slight pain of Victor’s nails digging into the skin at the back of his neck. “But, I threw the letter in the trash and forgot about it.”

Yuuri tried to make his confusion left obvious. Who was the she? Why was Victor so upset over something like this? He kept his question to himself as he waited for further explanation. He knew it was coming with the way Victor kept opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the right words to describe the situation. Tears continued to slip down his cheeks in fat, hot drops and Yuuri resisted the urge to wipe them away, instead sitting there immobile.

“I didn’t think anything of it, because she’s sent me those letters before. I was stupid enough to fall for it the first time and went running back, but I’m not that naive anymore and-.” His words were cut off as a sob raked its way from his throat. The sudden and violent noise startled Yuuri and he jumped slightly, but settled himself quickly and wrapped an arm around Victor’s forearm, hoping it might help in some way. “And,” He began again, voice thick with grief, “I let my anger and bitterness get the best of me. I didn’t understand what she was saying. I didn’t _think_ about it.”

Another pause and Yuuri realized that the other was shaking. He quickly urged him to sit on the couch, afraid that he might collapse and hurt himself physically, and turned a bit to face him. He still had to look up at Victor slightly, despite the fact he was sitting and a bit hunched over, his posture poor compared to how it normally was. Victor’s hands had dropped to his lap and Yuuri took it upon himself to slide a hand over the large span of his back, rubbing the cloth-covered flesh there in soothing circles that he hoped would do something to calm the other.

“I realize now that she was begging for me to help her, to go back to help her. She had finally realized and she couldn’t do anything _without_ me,” A choked noise left his throat and he dissolved into a fit of sobs.

“Hey,” Yuuri began softly, finally able to speak, but he didn’t have to say anything else after that. Victor turned towards him and pressed his face into the junction of Yuuri’s neck and shoulder, sobbing loudly into the bare skin. “Victor, it’s okay. You- you’re okay.”

“It’s n-not, Yuuri. It- It’s not,” Victor heaved out, voice causing a pain to shoot through Yuuri’s chest. He closed his eyes, tears stinging and threatening to spill over his lids. He couldn’t cry, not when Victor was at the weakest Yuuri had ever seen him. He opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of Phichit, who was standing on the steps leading to the dormitories, with wide eyes. Yuuri shook his head slightly, because he knew what Phichit was asking with his facial expression. His friend simply nodded and retreated back upstairs.

“Victor,” Yuuri whispered and slowly eased the other away from where he was crying. When his eyes came to rest on the blotchy, wet face of the person he’d been infatuated with for the past five years, he felt his heart drop into his stomach. He never thought he’d see Victor this vulnerable. “I can’t help unless you tell me what’s going on.”

Victor reached for Yuuri’s hands and clasped his together with them tightly, letting his breathing calm. He finally looked up at Yuuri with bloodshot eyes, tears still running down his face.

“My mom is dead and it’s all my fault.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me a few days to write, so I'm hoping to have the second up sometime next week.
> 
> My tumblr is @ mxkell so feel free to come scream at me there!


	2. carpe retractum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one in which Yuuri is annoyingly stubborn, Victor is annoyingly good at distracting Yuuri, and Phichit just wants to be noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next installment! I hope you enjoy. BTW _italics_ are flashbacks, just so you know before you dive into it, because there are a couple.
> 
> Some may think that Victor kind of let go of it all... quickly, but that's the type of griever I saw him as. He doesn't cling to things like that for long and gets everything out in one outburst, to save himself and other's time. Plus, he hasn't seen his mother since he started at Hogwarts, so there's a bit of a detachment, but of course he still has feelings that resemble love when it comes to her and of course her death is going to effect him, even if just minimally.
> 
> Yuuri is also a shit in this chapter, because he may be a soft and pure cinnamon roll but that doesn't mean he's without his flaws. He's got a bit of difficulty accepting certain things, just as all people do.
> 
> There's a bit of a mature theme at one point during the chapter and it's not explicit, so it shouldn't be a big deal, but if you don't like it read the part before it and then move on!
> 
> I initially was planning a much angstier chapter and so I wrote out one that is roughly 6,000 words, but decided that I didn't like it and created version 2. That's the one you guys are getting. There's still a fair bit of angst, though nothing like what was in the last chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it.

“Yuuri.”

The raven-haired boy snaps out of his daze and turns to Guang-Hong, who had just whispered his name. His friend quirks an eyebrow at him, because it’s not like Yuuri to doze off in the middle of class, even when he’s running on minimal sleep; Guang-Hong knows that Yuuri went to bed rather early last night, anyway.

“Hm?” Yuuri hums, feigning ignorance, not really wanting to address  _ why _ he’s daydreaming, rather than paying his undivided attention to their professor. Guang-Hong peers at him suspiciously, before he mouths ‘nothing,’ and turns back to his own work. He knows this isn’t the last he’s heard of this, especially not once Phichit is told, but he’s got an ample amount of time to plan for his answer.

He does eventually tune into the lesson, which is fairly interesting he comes to find out, and Guang-Hong doesn’t make comment on his behaviour for the rest of the class. The bell is ringing before he knows it and Guang-Hong tells him he’ll see him in Astronomy, before he disappears out the door. 

Yuuri stands fidgeting next to the doorway until he feels warm, slender fingers slip between his short and stubby ones. He looks up and is met with a warm gaze that brings a smile to his face. “Good morning,” An accented voice purrs and Yuuri’s response is to squeeze Victor’s hand, before they slip out of the doorway and make their way towards the Transfiguration room.

Against his better judgement, he chooses to speak on the topic that they’ve decided to cast aside, not wanting to stir up anymore conflict with each other. It’s not something they can just ignore however. Well, it’s not something Yuuri thinks Victor  _ should _ be able to ignore.

“Have you decided yet?” He asks as they come to a stop beside his classroom door and he looks up timidly at the other. He’s not surprised to see Victor’s facial features harden, his mouth now pressed into a tight line. It’s been his reaction every time they’ve gotten into it.

“Yuuri,” Victor begins and Yuuri resists the urge to grimace at the warning in his voice. He knows he shouldn’t press, but it’s going to be too late to decide soon and he doesn’t want Victor to regret anything. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t try and then Victor felt awful about this for the rest of his life.

“I know we said we weren’t going to talk about it, but you can’t just not decide. This isn’t just an assignment you really don’t want to do,” Yuuri combats before the other can say anything else. He’s surprised and proud at the firmness in his voice, his unwillingness to back down. Months ago he would’ve been reduced into a pile of apologetic whimpers at the look he was currently receiving.

“I  _ told _ you my answer,” Victor hissed, frustration already obvious. “ _ You _ just don’t want to accept it.”

“That’s because what happens when in ten years, you wish that you’d done the opposite of what you’re planning to do,” Yuuri whispers back and pulls his hand free of Victor’s grasp, so he can fold his arms over his chest. “You’ll feel like crap, that’s what’ll happen.”

“So I’ll feel like crap, Yuuri. You don’t know what it would be like to…” Victor trailed off and fixed his eyes on the ground. “I’m doing what’s better for  _ me _ . Can we please just drop this?”

Yuuri sighs, because he knows it’s going to get brought up again, very likely by himself, and he can’t find it in himself to just let it go. He finally nods and is pulled forward into a hug, a noise of surprise leaving his mouth at the sudden feeling of arms around him and a warm body pressed to his front. 

“No more arguing about this, please?” Victor breathes into his hair and Yuuri sighs again, before he nods reluctantly, his own arms wrapping around the other’s middle. “I’ve got to go now or I’m going to be late. I’ll see you after,” Victor murmurs, before pressing a kiss to Yuuri’s hairline. He’s gone a moment later.

Yuuri grumbles to himself as he enter his classroom, knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to not bring the topic up again. It just… it bugged him and he knew it wasn’t his place and he couldn’t possibly begin to understand, but…

He sat down at his desk and pulled out the necessary books, a pout thick on his lower lip. He knew that he didn’t have the right to be feeling like this, but he’d never told anyone he wasn’t a selfish person. He let his worries slip away for just the one class, instead focusing on the lesson.

***

_ Yuuri hadn’t wanted to wake Victor, who had fallen asleep on his chest, the rest of his body draped between Yuuri’s parted legs, one hand tightly fisted in Yuuri’s sweater. So, despite the fact that they had classes that day and they would surely face some sort of punishment for not going, he stayed where he was and let his fingers brush through the strands of silver atop the sleeping Slytherin’s head. _

_ He only felt a sliver of regret when his housemates, including Phichit and Guang-Hong, came flying down the stairs to the sight. Phichit, being the wonderful friend he was, ushered everyone out, but Yuuri later suspected that was only so he could tease him without being interrupted. Guang-Hong stood in the background and giggled as Phichit did his best to make his best friend’s face a lovely tomato red, before he bid him goodbye and exited the premises. Yuuri’s face was aflame for a solid thirty-minutes afterwards and soft grumbles left his lips. _

_ He was fairly grateful when Victor’s eyelids slid open to reveal blue pools, his thick, grey lashes fluttering as he blinked the sleepiness from them. Yuuri’s leg had started to fall asleep and it was in that annoying stage where it was still capable of feeling, but wasn’t of much functional use. The Russian lifted his head briefly, peering at Yuuri with squinted eyes, before he settled himself back down and somehow managed to snuggle himself further into Yuuri.  _

_ “Victor,” Yuuri almost whined, shifting his leg a bit in an attempt to get more feeling into it. His face was very likely red again and he groaned a bit, reaching up to cover his face in embarrassment when Victor began to murmur praise. _

_ “So warm, so soft. You’re a much better alternative to any sort of bedding, miliy,” He’d said softly, voice thick with sleep and scratchy from crying the previous night. “I could lay here forever.” _

_ “Forever would be nice if my leg wasn’t falling asleep,” Yuuri grumbled and worked to pull his leg out from under the other. He eventually became desperate enough and braced his hands against the other’s broad shoulders, pushing him a bit while pulling on his leg. Victor served to be nothing but dead-weight, refusing to move on his own. _

_ Eventually, his leg was draped off the side of the sofa and Victor was comfortably pressed against his chest again. Yuuri let his hands work through the knots in his now greasy hair, thinking that it wouldn’t hurt the other to shower, but keeping it to himself for the moment. _

_ “How are you feeling?” He finally asks, interrupting the comfortable silence. He almost regrets it when he feels Victor’s heavy sigh, but the feeling disappears when he rubs his face against the warmth of Yuuri’s sweater. _

_ “Better,” Victor whispers in response. _

***

“I just don’t understand!” Yuuri huffs and leans forward to press his cheek against the hard wood of the dining table. “Phichit, if the same thing happened to you, what would you do?”

“Well,  _ obviously _ , I would go, but you know there’s more to it than that. His relationship with her was… strained, while I miss my mother every second I’m away from her,” Phichit hummed and looked over at his friend, a sympathetic look on his face. “Stop worrying about it, Yuuri. He’ll do what’s best for him and that’s all you should be obsessing over. Not…  _ that _ .

Guang-Hong had told him the same thing. Emil had told him the same thing. Now, Phichit had confirmed for the third time that he should just  _ let it go _ , but he couldn’t. He nodded pitifully and dropped his forehead to the table, with a slight noise of pain leaving his mouth a moment later. He hadn’t meant to drop his head down so hard. 

Phichit snorted and Guang-Hong giggled and the dinner was somewhat silent after that. Yuuri didn’t touch his food, instead choosing to pout and grumble things to himself that were definitely inaudible to everyone else around him. He was about to stand up, because he had homework that still needed to be completed and he wasn’t going to get it done there, when two arms seized him around the middle.

Yuuri, being a courageous soul, shrieked rather loudly. 

He flushed when several pairs of eyes turned on him and he weakly pushed at the arms around him in frustration. 

“You didn’t wait for me so I could walk you to dinner,” Victor murmurs, his nose nuzzling into the space behind Yuuri’s ear. Yuuri can’t help himself when he melts against the other, his embarrassment and worries quickly forgotten.

Yuuri huffed, however, just to be difficult. “Phichit dragged us out early, because he embarrassed himself in front of the father of his future children,” He explained and wrinkled his nose up playfully when Phichit turned on the bench. He looked appalled and betrayed, pasta hanging limply from the corners of his mouth. Yuuri laughed and so did Victor.

“That is  _ not _ the reason! I simply wanted to get good seats. Today was an important dinner because - because… well because I said so,” Phichit exclaimed defiantly, before he turned back to his food and began mumbling curses under his breath. The blush on his face was still a deep color and Yuuri was proud of it, considering how many times Phichit had managed to get the same reaction from him. It wasn’t easy to embarrass Phichit.

“Mind if I sit with you guys?” Victor asked and Yuuri shook his head, motioning for the other to unwrap his arms from around his middle. Victor seemed to do so reluctantly, but not until after he administered a squeeze that made Yuuri squeak. Yuuri moved closer to Phichit until their hips were just brushing each other and Victor slid in next to them.

The rest of dinner went without a hitch and Yuuri was too distracted to even think about bringing up the forbidden topic. Victor was rather loose with his public affections and spent most of his time leaning into Yuuri, murmuring praise that immediately had Yuuri a deep scarlet color. His lips and hands were wandering, though not in a way that was distasteful or inappropriate for such a crowded place. 

Eventually, they were on their way back to their dorms and Victor had pulled him back before he could go into the Hufflepuff common room. The Russian stared down at him for a few, comfortably silent moments, fingers carding through Yuuri’s ebony locks.

“You aren’t mad, are you?” Victor finally sighed out, tilting his head in question, his eyebrows drawn together.

Yuuri frowned. He had been irritated earlier, but never angry, and the question seemed to be pulled from thin air. Perhaps he’d been a bit too flippant in displaying his emotions or…

“You just seemed like you were thinking a lot tonight,” The other added, interrupting Yuuri’s inner monologue. He watched as Victor’s tongue darted out to wet his chapped lips, before he continued. “And, I wouldn’t want you to go to bed upset.”

A smile pushed its way onto Yuuri’s face and he shook his head, leaning forward until he could press his face to Victor’s chest. He didn’t know what he’d done throughout his life to deserve a human being who was so responsive to his feelings. “Of course I’m not angry,” He answered, tilting his head up so he could look up at Victor, his chin still pressed to the other’s chest. “Don’t worry so much.”

“Says you,” Victor retorts easily and then he’s leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Yuuri’s lips. He’s saying goodnight after that and Yuuri sighs as he watches him go, before he does what’s necessary to get into the common room. He climbs the stairs up to the dorms he shares with his friends and enters with very little grace, flinging himself onto his bed once he’s able.

Phichit spares a glance away from his phone, before he says, “What’s got you all worked up?”

“Victor Nikiforov.”

***

_ “What did the Headmistress want?” Yuuri questions absentmindedly as he flips through his Study of Ancient Runes textbook, searching for information that’ll help back up his thesis statement. They’re both resting on his bed somehow, despite it’s small size, with Victor’s head by his feet. The silver-haired man looks up from the book he’s been reading briefly, before he looks back down and shrugs. _

_ “My mother’s funeral is next Thursday and she wanted me to know that all of my classes would be covered should I decide to go,” He answered, without any hint of emotion in his voice. “The float time is a bit prolonged, for a funeral, but  _ he _ wanted to allow some time for relatives to fly in.” _

_ Yuuri was no longer focused on his homework and was instead looking at Victor with squinted eyes. “What do you mean should you decide to go? How could you not?” He asks with a confused tone to his voice. He knows that if it’d been him in Victor’s place, as much as he didn’t like to think about it, he would have gone without any question in his mind.  _

_ Victor sighed and closed his book, thumb keeping track of the page he was on. “It’s a complicated situation. I’ve told you about what happened to me in that household and I’m not very eager to relive it. I can pay my respects without leaving England,” Victor replies and his lips are pressed into a thin line, jaw set. It’s not often he sees Victor with that expression and especially not towards him. _

_ “But - but she’s your mother,” Is the only response he can stutter out. There’s no logical sense to what he’s arguing for, he knows that, but he just can’t bring himself to understand. How could you not attend the funeral of the person who brought you into the world? Yuuri would fully understand if it was Victor’s father but… _

_ “Yes and in some ways, she was just as bad as my father,” Victor snaps and Yuuri flinches, without thinking about it, at the harshness of the words. He watches as Victor groans and nestles his face into the blankets, the book falling from his hands and landing on the floor with a thud. One moment, he’s nestled at the end of the bed with his face hidden and the next, he’s hovering over Yuuri with a stupidly adorable pout on his face. _

_ “I didn’t mean to snap at you,  _ miliy _. It’s been a long day. Can we not talk about it?” Victor whispers and the way he’s looking at Yuuri has him nodding, mouth slightly agape. Victor smiles almost immediately and drops his head lower, to press his nose against Yuuri’s. “Thank you,  _ miliy moy _ ,” He breathes and the warmth that fans out across Yuuri’s mouth is enough to make him shiver. He squeezes his eyes shut at the sudden onslaught of thoughts that fill his head and he only opens them when he hears a soft chuckle above him. _

_ “Yuuri,” Victor begins slowly, his eyes almost looking darker. “Can I kiss you?” _

_ Yuuri’s breath hitches and he would have been embarrassed that it did, since this definitely wasn’t going to be the first time, but he nodded his head and then Victor’s lips were on his, giving his body no time to process the embarrassment. The kiss is soft and Yuuri soon falls pliant under the exploring nature of Victor’s lips, almost like he’s try to remember every detail. He may very well be. _

_ He doesn’t know when the mood of the kiss changed or when Victor had nudged his legs apart to settle himself between them, but he wasn’t going to complain about either. He keens when Victor licks into his mouth and tangles his fingers into the other’s hair when teeth drag across his lower lip. Yuuri’s left panting, his lips kiss-bruised, and face flushed as Victor dips his head to leave marks that will be so beautifully dark against Yuuri’s pale skin. _

_ Yuuri can’t help himself when he pushes himself up towards Victor’s mouth when he pulls away, but only to untuck the white button down from in his pants. He’d taken off the vest when they’d entered the room and he was silently thankful for it now. It was a hassle to get off, after all.  _

_ The moment his skin is struck by the chilliness of the air around him, he becomes self-conscious. He feels the need to apologize for the marks on his sides that show where his skin had stretched, due to both the growth of his body during earlier years and the weight he’d gained and then lost rapidly during and after break. He opens his mouth to do so, but stops himself when Victor’s lips brush over the marks lovingly, tracing them with the tip of his tongue and the light drag of his teeth. _

_ “ _ Ty takoy krasiviy _ ,” Victor murmurs and Yuuri has no earthly clue what it means, but the way the words roll off the other’s tongue make him blush regardless. A soft gasp leaves him when Victor’s eyes meet his and his tongue draws a wet line up his stomach, before he lifts himself up enough to press his forehead to Yuuri’s. He hums delightedly and presses a gentle kiss to the corner of Yuuri’s mouth.  _

_ “You won’t mind if I…” Victor begins, his words fading off, but his actions quickly make up for what he’s not bothering to say. His fingers tease just under the waistband of Yuuri’s pants, pulling the fabric up a bit, before resting it back down. Yuuri has never nodded his head faster in his life, he’s sure of it. _

_ Victor’s lips are back on his, but his hands are working to unbutton and unzip his slacks. Yuuri whimpers into Victor’s mouth, before the Russian is slipping down his body, lightly nipping at any exposed flesh. Yuuri is thinking about how good it’ll feel to have Victor’s mouth around him - how good having Victor so close will be… _

_ But, his thoughts quickly disappear as the door to the dorm is pushed open and his three roommates pile in. Their incessant chatter halts abruptly at the sight before them and Yuuri is soon scrambling to push his shirt down and fix his pants. Victor, on the other hand, looks over his shoulder without any sort of embarrassment present on his cheery face and greets them. _

_ Yuuri doesn’t realize that Phichit had managed to snap a picture of the situation until he’s going through his friend’s story on Snapchat later that night. It’s always ridiculously long and he’s about to shut his phone off for the night, when he sees it. He’s looking up in embarrassment, his clothes in a state of disarray and his hair doesn’t look much better. Meanwhile, Victor’s winking at the camera, his messy hair still somehow managing to look attractive. The caption on the photo is “caught in the act” with a various string of emojis following after it. _

_ Yuuri doesn’t think twice about waking Phichit up from his deep slumber and begging for him to take the picture down. _

_ He doesn’t. _

***

They’re in the library again after dinner, deciding that since they didn’t have much homework to do, they could spend some time together. It’s Wednesday evening and Yuuri is chewing on the outside of his thumb as he reads, because his nerves are acting up again. He glances up at Victor, who’s completely immersed in the world of his own novel, before glancing down at the words that seem blurred. He’s not able to concentrate and after several minutes of trying, and failing, he sets the book face down with an annoyed huff.

Victor looks up then and quirks an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything. Yuuri shrugs his shoulders and presses the side of his face to the cool wood. The odd angle makes his glasses shift out of place, but he doesn’t particularly care and opts to close his eyes rather than fix them. He stretches one of his arms out across the table, his fingers deftly tracing the lines in the old surface.

“I’m going,” Victor announces in a hushed tone. One of Yuuri’s eyes slip open so he can gaze at the other and he’s surprised that Victor’s eyes haven’t moved from his book. “I informed the Headmistress today during lunch. I’ll be back Saturday morning.”

“Y-you’re going?” Yuuri stutters out, still a bit in shock that Victor had swayed in his decision. He’d been so adamant, so immovable, and yet here he was, announcing the one thing Yuuri wasn’t expecting to hear. 

Victor finally folds the corner of his book page and closes it, setting it gently down onto the desktop. There’s a sad, tense smile on his face. “I don’t just have the funeral to attend. Something beloved to me resides there and I’ve gotten permission from the Headmistress to bring it here. I’m not willing to leave it there any longer, not with my mother gone.”

“What is it?” Yuuri asks with a frown, his brain already coming up with ideas of what it could be. If it required permission from the Headmistress to be brought, it must’ve been rather dangerous or unconventional for the other people at Hogwarts.

“You’ll see,” Victor hums mysteriously and picks his book back up, flipping it open to the page he’d previously been enjoying. Yuuri glares at him, but the other seems undisturbed, and so he goes back to his own reading. It’s not quite as interesting as what the  _ something _ could be, but it’ll have to do until Victor returns with the answer to the mystery.

***

It’s safe to say that Yuuri’s dependency on Victor just being around has grown far past what he thought it had. Because, without Victor he is downright  _ miserable _ . It doesn’t bother him much at first, seen as how he is the one that was pushing for Victor to go in the first place, and he has school and his friends to distract him. But, his friends don’t come to pick him up after every class, or sit with him quietly in the library when he needs a break from the world, and they  _ certainly _ don’t supply him with the ample amount of physical affection he’s grown to  _ need _ .

By the time he’s gotten to Care of Magical Creatures, his second to last class of the day, there’s nothing but a pout on his face and a drag in his steps. 

Phichit teases him for it, of course, but is hugging him whilst doing so and Guang-hong is fixing his hair, that’s become unkempt throughout the day. Their class is fairly easy today and consists of studying for the test that’s due to happen the next day, so, naturally, he and his friends discuss things that have hold no importance to the exam.

“Yuuri, you have class with Seung-Gil next, correct?” Phichit asks, furiously scribbling something down onto a piece of paper he’d ripped from his notebook messily. Yuuri didn’t even get the chance to answer, before Phichit continued. “Because, I have been  _ desperately _ \- and when I say desperately, that’s exactly what I mean - trying to get him to notice me outside of the classroom and nothing I’ve done has worked.”

“Okay,” Yuuri starts slowly, afraid that his friend might interrupt him again. He pauses before he continues. “And I play a role in this  _ how _ ?”

“Well, I’m glad you asked, child,” Phichit responds comically. He’s now ridding the paper of any rough edges, tossing the tiny pieces to the ground, not worrying that anyone will give him grief over it. “Just give him this note, maybe fluff up my personality a bit to him, and then your job is complete. Then I’ll go into class tomorrow, probably vomiting from nerves, and see what his response is.”

Yuuri eyes Phichit skeptically for a moment as he begins to fold the note neatly, before placing it on the desk in front of Yuuri. “What’s the note say?” He asks and reaches forward, ready to unfold it, but Phichit claps a hand over it before he gets the chance.

“None of your business,” He exclaims hurriedly, his face red. “Just a bit about my heartfelt affections in regards to him, nothing more. If you read it, I’ll find out and tell Victor about that  _ thing _ .”

The smirk that had previously been on Yuuri’s face fell at that and his eyes widened in panic. “You would not,” He sputters, crossing his arms over his chest. Phichit’s smile told him that he very much would if provoked. “Fine, fine, I won’t read the note,” Yuuri grumbles and picks the piece of paper up once Phichit has cautiously moved his hand away from it. Yuuri tucks it into his pants pocket with ease, before he’s turning back to his friends.

He notices that Guang-Hong has been spaced out for the entirety of their conversation and he reaches over to prod the other in the ribs, effectively ripping him from his blanked out state. He makes a noise of disapproval and turns his gaze quickly, a question asked in his raised eyebrows. “What?”

“Are you daydreaming about your wedding with  _ Leoooo _ ?” Phichit coos in question, fluttering his eyelashes to increase the dramatic appeal of the words. Guang-Hong begins to sputter, his entire face and neck flushed as he denies ever thinking about something like that. Yuuri laughed from his seat and tickled at Guang-Hong’s side to tease him further, getting a nervous giggle in response. He decides, after that, that his friends have always been more than enough for him and in Victor’s absence, they are too.

***

The guy is intimidating.

Phichit had talked about how brooding and menacing he looked, but it sounded more like the Disney prince that just needed a bit of loving. Not the villain who had caused the prince to need loving. Maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but Yuuri had never been one to approach those with the slightest bit of an intimidation factor, so it was safe to say that  _ this _ guy had him scared witless.

Seung-gil was reading in the back corner of the Ancient Runes room, a disinterested expression on his face. His posture was impeccable, which made Yuuri fear him all the more somehow, and his clothes were remarkably neat. He could see why Phichit was attracted to him.

Yuuri fidgeted by his desk for a few moments, before he pulled the note from his pocket and cautiously made his way over. It was as if he was approaching a strange animal and Yuuri was sure that this guy could very well bite if he wanted to. He finally reached where the other was sitting and stood there for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say. 

“Do you need something?” A deep and irritated-sounding voice asked him. “Or do you just have a habit of creepily staring at people you don’t know?”

Yuuri realized that in his stupor, he hadn’t noticed the other turn his attention from the book and to him. He was trying to imagine how Phichit - sweet, innocent, but blackmailing, Phichit - could possibly be crushing on someone who was so…  _ bitter  _ sounding. “Oh, uh, no sorry. I just-.” Yuuri stopped talking and thrust the note out in front of him. “My friend wanted me to give this to you and he’s a really good person so just… don’t crush him.”

Yuuri hurried away after that and slid into his seat, rubbing his cold hands against his face in an attempt to get rid of the blush he hadn’t known was there. He let himself focus on the lesson rather than the stranger his best friend had affections for or the fact that Victor wasn’t there. 

***

“So, did you give him the note?” Phichit asked earnestly as he slid in next to Yuuri, who was currently stress eating.

“Of course I did,” Yuuri replied around a mouthful of fish. He swallowed before he spoke again. “If this doesn’t work out and you decide I’m needed to further along another one of your romance plots, please make sure the person isn’t  _ scary _ .”

“He’s not scary,” Phichit insists quickly and wraps an arm tightly around his friend’s shoulder. “He’s just… anti-social.”

Yuuri shook his head in disagreement, but didn’t respond, instead deciding to continue eating. Phichit glanced around the table and then stood, a hand still on Yuuri’s shoulder, before he sat back down. “Where’s Guang-Hong?” He questioned and Yuuri shrugged in response, miserably chewing on some more meat. 

“I haven’t seen him since Care of Magical Creatures,” He adds, unhelpfully, before turning his full attention back to his food. Phichit makes a noise of amusement, before he makes himself a plate and begins eating too, making easy conversation with his friend.

***

The two make their way back to their dorm and are surprised to find that Guang-Hong and Leo are draped across the Hufflepuff’s bed, surrounded by various types of sweets, with their books on the floor. 

“I’ve been betrayed by my own blood once again!” Phichit shouts dramatically, stumbling forward until he’s laying across Guang-Hong’s middle. Yuuri is sure that Phichit would have gone on, but he instead plucks up a case of Bertie Bot’s Every Flavor Beans and forgets about the said betrayal. 

Yuuri joins them all on Guang-Hong’s bed and sits cross-legged with his back against the headboard. He grabbed for a box of Fudge Flies and delightedly picked a few out, popping them into his mouth. Phichit told Guang-Hong all about the fact that Yuuri though his future husband was scary and Guang-Hong giggled and sided with Yuuri, who smiled triumphantly at his shocked friend.

They all stay up well past curfew, even Leo who they’ve always known to be a strict rule follower, despite the house he was sorted into, and they all know they’re going to be exhausted but classes on Fridays tend to be relatively easy. Yuuri isn’t worried much either, not even with the exam he’s got in the afternoon, and happily laughs along with his friends. This is the best he’s felt all day and he’s disappointed when they finally decide it should end. 

Yuuri ends up sleeping in the same bed as Phichit, because his friend states that whether Leo’s intentions are mostly pure or not, there will be no “hanky-panky” in his house. So, Leo slips into Yuuri’s bed and Guang-Hong stays on his, while Yuuri lays with the side of his head pressed to Phichit’s. He’s watching as Phichit scrolls through his instagram and stops here and there to talk to Yuuri, or to explain the concept of something that Yuuri doesn’t quite understand.

They eventually decide that it’s time to shut his phone off and Phichit rolls over briefly, plugging the device in, before he’s back on his back. Yuuri’s comfortable laying next his best friend, since it certainly isn’t the first time and definitely won’t be the last. Phichit, along with Guang-Hong, is one of the only people at Hogwart’s that knows what to do when Yuuri is having an anxiety attack; more often than not, it ended with them curled up in the same bed, talking about hot actors/actresses and telling jokes that weren’t really funny. It reminded him a lot of being home and maybe that’s what calmed him so much.

“I’m scared for tomorrow, Yuuri. I know I’m always so confident when it comes to pretty much everything, but this  _ scares _ me,” Phichit whispers and thumbs at a string that’s been gradually pulled out from his blanket. Yuuri watches in silence as he twists it around his finger, untwists it, and then twists it again. He repeats the process several times before Yuuri can think of a good response.

“Well, I think it’s a good thing you’re scared. It obviously shows how much you like this guy, even if he’s terrifying,” Yuuri’s kicked lightly in the shin for that one. “Besides, if it goes all kinds of bad, your best friend is the number one duelist in the school and I’ll give him a run for his money if he messes with you. I can promise you that.”

Phichit hums happily and quickly rolls onto his stomach, burying his face on his pillow. “You’re such a good friend,” Is the last thing he murmurs before he falls asleep.

Yuuri doesn’t find sleep as easily and is left to stare up at the canopy of Phichit’s bed for what seems like eternity. He shifts around and tries to find a position that’s comfortable, but with so little room, he finds it difficult and gives up in the end. He ends up falling asleep on his back, much to his own discomfort, and sleeps restlessly for the rest of the night.

***

When Yuuri walks into the History of Magic classroom the next day, he’s surprised by two things. One, Phichit has draped himself across Seung-gil’s desk and is chattering happily to the male, who’s, for the most part, staring at him blankly. Yuuri, however, doesn’t miss the smile that twitches at the corners of his mouth. Two, the younger Yuri is in the class as well, but he’s sitting on the ground next to Otabek Altin, who’s just a tad less scary than Seung-gil, and the blonde is actually  _ smiling _ .

Yuuri is sure that Victor would have teased the boy endlessly for it, had he been there, and he smiles at the thought as he sits down at his desk. He pulls out his completed homework and sets it on the space in front of him, before he’s startled by arms suddenly wrapped around him. 

“Yuuri! You’ll never believe it. In the note I asked him to be my date on the Hogsmeade visit tomorrow and he said yes! At first I didn’t think he was that excited, but I’ve actually gotten him to smile a few times and he’s so pretty when he smiles, let me tell you. I swear I could float away I feel so light,” Phichit whispers in his ear excitedly, bouncing a bit, but his tight hold on Yuuri doesn’t lessen.

Yuuri is about to reply when Phichit draws back a bit, his hands now holding tightly to Yuuri’s shoulders. Phichit is staring at him with concern and he opens his mouth again to ask what’s wrong, but Phichit beats him to it.

“Except, Victor isn’t here which means  _ you _ don’t have a date… But, that’s okay, because you’ll just get to tag along with me and Seung-gil! Or, Leo and Guang-Hong, if you’re too scared,” Phichit teases, the concern replaced by a gleaming smile. 

“That’s okay I can just go with Emil-.”

“He’s going with Mickey,” Phichit informs him and Yuuri sighs heavily. He wouldn’t mind going with his friends, whether they had dates or not, but he wouldn’t want to be a drag on any of them. Not with how his attitude was fairing lately.

“Well, Victor said he’d be back tomorrow morning, so maybe he’ll be here before we leave. Even if he’s not, I’m sure he’ll end up meeting up with me there,” Yuuri states and offers his friend a smile. “You enjoy your date. We all know how long you’ve been pining over that guy.”

Phichit reddens, but he nods reluctantly and wraps Yuuri in another tight hug.

***

Going to Hogsmeade was always something he looked forward to as a First and Second year. Third years and up always came back with heaps of sugary foods and things from the trick shop that were used for the rest of the year. He was surprised the Professors and Headmistress hadn’t banned them from buying things from there, considering the practical joke wars that often got way out of hand. Even now, he still got giddy when thinking about it. He’d woken up before Phichit even and got dressed in dark skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie that was much too big on him.

The snow had melted for the most part and while it was still a bit nippy at night, he found that during the day it was always a temperature that he didn’t mind much. He was surprised that it wasn’t raining, what with the way the sky was covered with dark clouds. He didn’t pay anymore mind to it after that, however, and slipped on his sneakers. This time, he was the one to roll the others out of bed, though Emil was nowhere to be found and Yuuri wasn’t all that surprised by it.

Once he was sure they were awake, he left the dormitories and made his way to the courtyard with the fountain at its center, waiting for the trip to begin. There were already quite a few people out, particularly several Third years who were still excited about the occasional trips. He could happily tell them that that excitement would never die out. He loved Hogwarts with all he was, considered it to be his home, but it was nice to get away and have a bit of freedom here and there.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit of disappointment when he glanced around the area and didn’t spot a head of shining, silver hair, but it quickly melted away when Phichit exited with Seung-gil. It was amusing to watch his friend chatter excitedly to someone who didn’t exactly look very interested, but was still staring at Phichit so intensely. Leo and Guang-Hong were soon outside, looking as sweet at they always did, and it made Yuuri ache.

Emil exited with Michele, who looked like he’d been forced to do something he didn’t want to do, but he was there and that said enough. Yuuri laughed to himself, before he made his way over to Phichit, coming to stand close to the other. Conversation was made between the two of them and Seung-gil watched them with interest, though didn’t speak up to add anything to the conversation. 

One of the Professors, who was checking people off of the approved list, began to speak up when an odd, but familiar noise met Yuuri’s ears. He turned just in time to see a mass of brown, curly fur barrel into him. The wind was knocked out of him briefly as he fell on his back, but he’d been able to keep his head from slamming into the ground, so that’s all he really cared about at the moment. Two large paws were pressed firmly to his chest and he gazed up into the most adorable face he’d ever seen.

“Makkachin! You don’t listen at all,” He heard a voice shout, said voice drawing closer as it continued to complain. The dog’s head turned as her owner came into view and she bounded towards him, barking excitedly and winding herself around his long legs. Yuuri was still in shock, laying on the ground, but the moment silver hair caught his eyes, he sprung into action and pushed himself up off the damp ground.

Yuuri soon had his arms wrapped tightly around the person he had missed so dearly for the past few days and he felt so relieved he could have cried there and then. He lets all of his worries and pent up emotions wash away and he sways limply into the other, who steadies him and keeps him upright with ease. 

“Did you miss me that much,  _ miliy _ ?” Victor asks with a soft laugh, his nose already nuzzled into Yuuri’s hair. Yuuri looks up at him slightly and nods rapidly, before burying his face back into the chest of the taller man. They’re both pushed slightly and Yuuri feels those paws on his back. “Oh, Makkachin, get down! You’re getting his jacket all dirty,” Victor scolds from above him and the dog listens this time, deciding instead to push at Victor’s legs.

Victor wipes the dirt from his hoodie and sighs heavily, looking down at the dog with a bit of disapproval. “When will you ever learn to make good first impressions, hm?”

Yuuri laughs at the exchange and tightens his hold on Victor, hands bunching up the material of his coat. He’s urged to look up by Victor’s hand and he does so with a bit of reluctance, feeling absolutely sated as he sees the smile on Victor’s face. “Is that the beloved ‘thing’ you were talking about?” Yuuri asks and Victor nods almost immediately.

“She’s got the worst manners and has a tendency to get into things that smell, but she’s my girl,” Victor hums and unwraps an arm from around Yuuri to reach down and scratch behind Makkachin’s ear. “I imagine she’ll have me kicked out by the end of the year,” Victor then jokes lightly and looks back down at Yuuri. 

“I used to have a poodle,” Yuuri informs Victor and his tone is fond, albeit a little sad. Vicchan had passed away during his Third year, but he’d been old and his hips had started to bother him, so Yuuri had been accepting of it for the most part. 

“That’s just more proof that we’re soulmates,” Victor responds and leans down to press a proper kiss to Yuuri’s mouth, causing the other to blush. He hears someone yell “get a room” and Yuuri is almost positive that it’s the younger Yuri, but he can’t be bothered to care. “C’mon, love. Let’s go get you some of those Fudge Flies that you adore.”

***

After an hour or so of shopping and browsing various items, they found a place to sit and Yuuri’s eating some Fudge Flies happily, looking around to see if he could spot any of his friends. He’d seen Leo and Guang-Hong in the sweets shop briefly, but hadn’t seen Phichit and Seung-gil since that morning. Phichit had probably dragged the poor boy into an adventure he wasn’t ready for. Yuuri laughed at the thought.

He turned his attention back Victor and flushed deeply when he realized that the other had been staring at him this entire time. “What?” He asks in a voice he had wanted to be brave, but it comes out meek and high-pitched.

Victor hums in thought and presses a finger over his lips, the curve of the space between his forefinger and thumb cupping his chin. Yuuri watches as his facial expression changes multiple times, before he finally pulls his hand away, as if he’s decided on something. “Can I call you my boyfriend?”

Yuuri stops chewing on the chocolatey treats and gazes at the other evenly, despite the embarrassed look on his face. “Um,” He begins, not sure what exactly he’s thinking. “I kind of thought we’d already crossed into that territory,” Yuuri replies, deciding it best to be honest. After all, he’s let the word “boyfriend” slip a few times when talking about Victor anyway and he had figured the other had done the same.

“We have, but I never officially asked. Most people would prefer they get asked, correct?” Victor asks and his pale eyebrows raised in question, his fingers drumming on his own thigh. Yuuri shrugs, because he doesn’t know what most people would want. He doesn’t have enough experience to comment on what he’d like either, so he settles for the shrug and resumes eating his chocolate. “Well, you didn’t say yes or no.”

Yuuri looks back at Victor and sighs as if he’s annoyed, but he mutters a quick “yes” and complains loudly when Victor grabs hold of him, exclaiming how cute Yuuri is. The taller man nestles into him, hunched over so he can press his face to the soft fabric of Yuuri’s hoodie. He opens his mouth and doesn’t say a word, but Yuuri is quick to drop one of his sweets into his beloved’s mouth, watching as he munches on it happily.

A bark sounds and Makkachin is soon planted in front of the two, tail wagging happily and tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. “No chocolate, Makkachin. Maybe when you’re on your deathbed,” Victor tells the canine, who whines pitifully, before sprinting away again. “She’s so bad,” Victor laughs and presses his face in Yuuri’s side. 

“She’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Yuuri comments absentmindedly, throwing more candy into his mouth without really thinking about it. He’s broken from his spacing out when Victor makes a displeased noise, raising his head to peer up at Yuuri with squinted eyes. 

“I thought  _ I _ was the cutest thing!” He cries and his voice speaks of nothing but betrayal. Before Yuuri can get a word out, he’s dropped to the ground on his back, arm tossed over his face. “I’m too wounded to continue. Upstaged by my own dog. I should have left her in Russia,” He grouses, though Yuuri can see the trace of a smile on his lips. 

Yuuri stands and apologizes to people passing down, because Victor is  _ loud _ and tries to coax the other up, but he remains on the ground, making weak noises as if he’s physically in pain. “Victor, c’mon,” Yuuri whines, pulling on Victor’s arm, but it’s all in vain as the man doesn’t bother to move. He sits back on the dirt-covered ground and huffs in irritation, before he leans forward a bit until he can press his lips to Victor’s ear. “Would it help if I told you you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen?” He asks and he’s made himself flush again, but Victor is making a scene.

It’s almost how quickly the other goes from pouting to making a noise of delight, before he’s wrapping his arms tightly around Yuuri, bringing him closer to the ground. “You’re so incredibly endearing, Yuuri,” Victor purrs, before pressing a kiss to the shell of Yuuri’s ear.

“Shut up,” Yuuri grumbles playfully, pushing himself out of the other’s arms and up off the ground. “Let’s walk around, I want to find Phichit,” Yuuri says after a moment and nudges Victor with his foot, since the Russian is still lying on the ground. He’s quick to comply, however, and soon has his arm wrapped tightly around Yuuri. 

***

Eventually, they all found their way back to the Hufflepuff dormitories. And when he says all, he means  _ all _ . Phichit had somehow convinced the Ravenclaw to tag along once they reached Hogwarts and Guang-Hong didn’t have to so much as say a word, before Leo was making his way there with them. Victor was quite literally attached to Yuuri and didn’t seem like he was going to let go anytime soon, so it was safe to say that he’d be joining them as well.

Seung-gil wasn’t as terrifying as Yuuri had initially thought, he was just incredibly blunt and found most social interaction pointless, so he tended to avoid them. He spent most of his time fawning over Makkachin, with a bit of sadness in his expression, but his words to the canine were sweet and praise-filled. Phichit was attempting to discreetly take pictures of the interaction between man and animal, but Seung-gil is quick and calculated, making it easy for him to snatch Phichit’s phone away from him.

Leo has an earbud in, which nobody is surprised by, and his lips move as he mouths the words to whatever song he’s listening to. Guang-Hong is draped across Phichit’s bed, laughing as his friend whines about not having his phone and making desperate grabs at it. Seung-gil has a good two inches on Phichit, regarding height, so it’s easy enough for him to keep the device out of the other’s reach. 

Yuuri’s perched on the edge of the bed, watching the ordeal play out, laughing at how serious Seung-gil looks throughout the entire thing. It’s a miracle he’s capable of keeping a straight face while Phichit is whining so dramatically. Yuuri knows that he would have already broken by that point. He’s broken from his gaze on his friend when he’s dragged further onto the bed and then pressed against a solid, warm mass. 

“Yuuri~” Victor cooes warmly against his ear and it takes all of Yuuri’s willpower to force an oncoming shiver down. “Nap with me,” The Russian requests and nuzzles his nose into Yuuri’s hair, arms lightly squeezing Yuuri from where they’re wrapped around him.

“I’m not napping with you,” Yuuri murmurs back quickly, though the offer is tempting. He likely would have if all of his friends weren’t gathered in one place, which could be such a rare occurrence with school taking up most of their lives, but they were and he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to spend time with them.

Victor whines inaudibly and presses his face to Yuuri’s shoulder in defeat, a heavy sigh rattling both of their bodies. “I’ll nap by myself then,” He mutters petulantly, though the kiss he places to the side of Yuuri’s neck is enough to tell the raven-haired man that there’s no ill-will behind the words. He’s unwrapped his arms from around Yuuri a moment later and rolls over onto his stomach, holding one of Yuuri’s pillows tight to his face.

The sight alone makes Yuuri laugh.

It’s dinner-time before they know it and Phichit has his phone back and pockets it as he and Seung-gil leave, babbling away about who knows what. Guang-Hong hugs Yuuri tightly and soon he and Leo are gone as well, leaving the Japanese boy alone with his snoring boyfriend. He shakes Victor’s shoulder in an attempt to wake him, complaining about how he doesn’t want to miss dinner, but the other remains peacefully separated from the real world.

He sighs in annoyance and reaches over to shake the other again, when his wrists are skillfully caught by Victor’s and he’s pulled forward slightly. “Gimme a kiss and I’ll happily get up,” Victor murmurs, speech slurred from sleep. Yuuri flushes and tries to pull his hands from Victor’s grasp, but the other isn’t having it and tightens his grip.

“Fine,” Yuuri murmurs and he leans forward to press a light, brief kiss to the other’s smiling mouth. Unfortunately, Victor seems to have other plans and releases his wrist in favor of cupping the back of his neck, keeping him in place. Yuuri, obviously, isn’t going to complain about being kissed longer than he had initially anticipated and participates enthusiastically. 

When they finally separate, panting a bit, Victor’s eyes gleam up at him mischievously. “You still want to go to dinner?”

Yuuri peers down at him and is acutely aware of what he’s playing at, how he’s trying to get Yuuri to succumb to his stupid charm. And it does seem like a nice idea to be locked away from the rest of the world for a little bit, letting Victor explore every inch of him…

“Yes, actually. I’m starving and Fudge Flies won’t be enough to sate me,” He replies with ease and unwraps himself from the other’s hold. He makes his way out of the dormitory without so much as glancing back and doesn’t miss the groan that curses him. He smirks.

***

The end of the year is unnaturally busy. It’s always been like that, but Yuuri finds himself stressing more and more as the days come to an end. The fact that he was coming up on his final year as a student at Hogwarts had hit him hard as he studied for exams one day and he hadn’t been able to let it go since, worrying about it probably more than he should have been. After all, his friends would still be there and Victor too, offering him any sort of support he might need.

Even with that thought in mind, he couldn’t shake it.

He’d vented his frustrations to Victor one night while they were in the library and the other had listened without patronizing him or treating him as if his fears were small, like so many people had before. He asked questions and didn’t interrupt Yuuri, not once. Part of the reason Yuuri had gone to him in the first place was the fact that Victor had friends, good friends, that were leaving at the end of the term. Friends that he’d heard Victor speak so fondly of when they’d first started talking and he knew the other must have been sad. So, he was surprised when he asked about and got a response he hadn’t been expecting.

“I’m not sad,” He’d deadpanned, pushing his hair out of his face only to have it fall back over one eye. “I spent six wonderful years with them and now they get to go out into the world and put their knowledge to use. Chris is going to be an…  _ actor _ . Mila and Sara are moving to New Zealand together to study Antipodean Opaleyes. Hogwarts was just the beginning of their lives, now they can be whatever they want. Aren’t you excited for that?”

Yuuri had shrugged, not sure how to respond, because on one hand, he was, and on the other, he wasn’t. There were so many risks to being totally responsible for yourself and your actions, but also an uncalculated wonder as to what you could become. 

“Let me ask you something else,” Victor had began, grabbing for one of Yuuri’s hands. “What do you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?”

Yuuri felt like shying away, because he didn’t  _ know _ . There were so many options and he hadn’t yet considered them all fully, but Victor’s thumb stroking his skin gave him a bit of courage and he spoke without thinking. “I want to go back to Japan for a year or two and help my family with the Onsen. Eventually, I could come back to teach or become a part of the Magical Congress of Japan. I don’t know,” He replied weakly, his decision not coming out as strong as he would’ve liked. 

“Can I tell you what I want to do?” Victor asked after a prolonged lull, his voice soft. Yuuri nodded. “I’d like to become Seeker on the National Russian Quidditch team. I’m qualified for it and they’ve already requested that I join them after I graduate, since their current Seeker wishes to move onto other things.”

Yuuri expected as much, really, and was going to comment when Victor continued.

“I’d like to get another poodle, because Makkachin deserves a friend and I love them. I’ll visit Chris and Mila whenever I can and send Yuri things that I know will annoy him, but I’ll try to be there for as many of his Quidditch games as I possibly can. And,” He paused and he’d looked almost sheepish, Yuuri realized, and shifted in his seat, not sure what to expect. “I’ll spend most of my off-time wherever you are, whether it’s Japan or England. I’ll marry you when we’re both settled into our lives and eventually get a job that doesn’t requires me to be away so much, because I’m sure we’ll be both fed up with being away from each other in a few years at max. I plan to spend the rest of my life loving you, Yuuri, as long as you’ll have me,” He finished and his eyes are on the ground, a blush coloring his cheekbones.

There’s silence for a few moments and Yuuri started to cry after he processed what Victor had just said, what he’d just confessed. Victor  _ loves _ him. He surged forward from his seat without thinking about it and threw himself at Victor, nearly toppling them both backwards. The chair rocked but Victor was quick to settle it, before his arms are wrapped around Yuuri and he sighed in relief, as if Yuuri would ever reject him like that.

***

He’s sure they’re a sight. With the way Phichit is desperately clinging to him, Guang-Hong crying as if they’ll never see each other again, and Yuuri trying to assure them that they’d be together again in two months. Yuuri promises Phichit that they’ll text everyday and he hugs Guang-Hong for what feels like two hours, before they  _ finally _ let go. Again, they’ll be riding the train together, but it’s become a custom for them to cry about it beforehand, to make it less difficult for them all.

Yuuri turns away with a smile on his face as Phichit launches himself at an unsuspecting Seung-gil and is wrapped in a warm hug. Before Yuuri can properly wrap his arms around Victor, his face is tilted up and he’s being kissed. There’s no sense of urgency to it, despite the fact that they won’t be seeing each other for two months, and is instead soft and searching and just pleasant in general. 

Yuuri steels up enough courage to nip at Victor’s lower lip as he pulls away and the taller man groans, pressing his face into Yuuri’s hair. “You make nothing easy for me,  _ miliy _ ,” He whines and his arms seem to tighten further around Yuuri’s middle. He can’t help but laugh, though the sound comes out pathetic and sad, because he’s already started to cry.

It starts as a few tears and then he’s hiccuping, which means he’s ugly-crying and he uses that as an excuse to press himself closer to Victor, who’s being impossibly understanding. He’s whispering sweet and reassuring things into Yuuri’s ear, which Yuuri appreciates, but it doesn’t stop his chest from constricting. 

“I’m sorry,” He barely manages to get out as he pulls away a bit, wiping at his face. He’s still hiccuping and it’s making him frustrated, but Victor doesn’t seem to mind as he pushes back Yuuri’s dark hair. Victor shushes him and presses a kiss to Yuuri’s forehead a moment later, before dropping his head to press his own to Yuuri’s. Their noses brush slightly and Yuuri gazes into blue-green eyes that reflect nothing but love.

“Phichit made us those Skype accounts and I’ll be sure to call whenever you want me to, love. It’s only two months, it’ll fly by,” Victor murmurs and Yuuri nods, knowing that, but his emotions continued to get the best of him. 

The majority of the students would be going home to spend time with their parents/guardians, taking a break from the stressful atmosphere of school. And while Victor wouldn’t have any classes, he would be in that large building with only a few teachers and Makkachin to keep him company; for two  _ months _ . He wished that he could have offered to let him stay at his family’s home, but he hadn’t yet told them the details of his relationship with Victor. As far as he knew, they still thought they were friends. He wasn’t even sure they were aware he was attracted to men in the first place.

“I’m sorry,” He repeats and when he says it this time, he’s not apologizing for his crying. He’s apologizing for Victor having to be alone, because the people who should have loved him most in the world, were the ones that damaged him the greatest. That’s why he couldn’t ever go home, because the wounds were fresh, healing and new ones would sprout up should he return. He knows that Victor knows the implications behind his words, but the other shushes him again, and pulls him in for another kiss.

When he boards the train with his friends and they find empty seats, he peers out the windows for as long as he can at Victor, who’s standing there and waving with Makkachin happily at his side.

_ It’ll fly by _ , Yuuri thinks to reassure himself, before he settles into the easy conversation Phichit and Guang-Hong have started without him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The little steamy make-out scene is how Victor is "annoyingly good at distracting Yuuri" IF you were wondering. And so much for 'slow burn' bc like... Victor brought up marriage alREADY (which tbh c'mon the same thing happened canonically so i have every riGHT!!!) and they're stupid boys in love and it just... 
> 
> Russian Words Used in This Chapter  
> miliy = darling  
> miliy moy = my sweet  
> ty takoy krasiviy = you're so handsome
> 
> Now, I do not speak Russian nor do I claim to. All of this is found on google, which I would die without, so if there is anything that needs to be corrected, please let me know! 
> 
> Also, if anyone cares to know, I 100% HC Seung-gil as asexual. I just... idk I feel it in my bONES. 
> 
> Scream at me on my tumblr (mxkell) bc yes. If you make any sort of fanart/edit/etc. for this fic pls tag me in it or message me on tumblr bc i will scream forever and probably gush about it for the rest of my life okay.
> 
> update 1/2: all errors in russian have been fixed~ thank you all so much for the help! i appreciate it so very much.
> 
> update 1/8: writers block killed me this week but I plan for the next update to be out by Wednesday!!!
> 
> update 1/11: i lied. i'm hoping to get the next update done by friday/saturday/sunday! thank you all for being patient w/ me :)


	3. herbifors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Victor pines pathetically and is forced to reflect painfully on his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm really so sorry. forgive me for the delay on this chapter. i had plans to get it done earlier, but then real life swept me away and my responsibilities distracted me from actually writing. despite the fact that i'm simply awful when it comes to updating on a schedule, i hope you enjoy this installation.
> 
> i had a plan to make every chapter 10,000 words, but i didn't want to needlessly ramble, so this is a little over eight-thousand. i'm sure that doesn't really matter but i like to keep my readers in the loop!

Victor had always felt alone, he realized one night when he’d been having a particularly difficult time. He believes he was in his Third year at Hogwarts, not that it really matters. The day had been long and laborious, the tiresome nature of his classes draining him for everything that he was worth. He’d collapsed onto his bed and didn’t pay any mind when dinner was announced, leaving the Slytherin dormitories empty after a bit of hustling on his housemates’ parts.

He laid there in the dark room and felt impossibly cold, despite the warmth of his robe wrapped around him and the reassurance of the bed below him. It wasn’t a physical cold, though being in the dungeon often caused the Slytherin portion of the castle to be just that, but more of an internal ache that he couldn’t quite rid himself of. Something that had always been there, but that had been ignored for as long as he’d been alive.

He knows _why_ it’s there and yet he’s unable to fix it. He’ll never be mended. Not fully, anyway.

Yuuri is one of the few things in his life that has made him feel warm and worth the air he was breathing. He didn’t feel alone with the nervous, small Japanese boy looking up at him with the adoration Victor had yearned to see his entire life. To know that _he_ was the lone subject of that kind of love… well, it made his ego and heart swell.

Of course, there was also Yakov. The older man had an interesting way of showing his love, but Victor knew it was there, regardless. Yakov had groomed him to be the fine Quidditch player he was now, had been the one to steal him away from his life in Russia, had been the one to tell him his mother had died. In every sense, Yakov was like the father he should have had.

Chris and Mila came next, though for completely different reasons. He’d known Mila for the majority of his life. They’d grown up together, picked the other up when they fell, taught each other things just for the hell of it. She had been his comfort so many times throughout his life, the only person he could ever see himself running to. Chris, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Christophe was blunt, forcefully so, but not in a way that Victor found to be distasteful. He wasn’t good at comforting people, much like Victor himself, and so the silver-haired man never sought the other out for that sort of thing. Chris gave advice when he thought he needed to, told Victor when he was being insufferable, and was completely honest with him. That was a different kind of comfort all together.

Georgi was too melodramatic for Victor to handle most of the time and he didn’t find himself crying on the other’s shoulder often, because the man would probably start too. Yuri was young and though Victor loved him dearly, he wasn’t experienced enough in life to offer anything helpful. At least, not to Victor.

Makkachin had been a comforting presence since his seventh birthday, one of the only ones he _wanted_ to remember. Everyone had seemed to be so happy that day and when a small and round puppy had made its way towards him, he’d laughed. Laughter had almost become foreign to him. Makkachin had been his single ray of blindingly bright sunshine for a long time.

Yuuri outshined them all.

He’d noticed the boy almost immediately when he’d transferred to Hogwarts during the second semester of his First year. It was impossible to forget someone who had sent a cruel Sixth year flying across the lunchroom, but cried immediately after, apologizing over and over to the Headmistress once she’d approached the situation. He was, of course, punished, but only minimally since the Sixth year had been harassing both the small Japanese boy and the bright, social friend that seemed to be with Yuuri wherever he went. Victor didn’t think much of it, his adolescent brain tuning out once the ‘fight’ was over.

Yuuri was chubbier back then, a picture of baby-faced youth with his round cheeks and doe eyes. There was always a blush on his face too, even back then. He was short and clumsy, always stumbling over one thing or another, but his smile was bright and his laugh blinding.

However, Victor didn’t really _look_ at Yuuri until their Fourth year. He’d always had Defence Against the Dark Arts with Yuuri, even if he had no other classes with the boy, and that was where Yuuri seemed to shine the most. They’d been paired together to practice dueling and the other seemed less than happy about the fact, seen as how he kept glancing in the direction of his quirky friend, who simply sent him winks in return. That made Yuuri blush to the very roots of his hair and he’d turned briefly to Victor, before letting his attention fall to the floor. Victor assumed that they weren’t going to get enough practice done that day and that he’d beat the smaller boy, no sweat.

He was proven wrong multiple times.

When he’d stood across from the other, he was sure that he had it in the bag, and he was cocky about it, which very likely did not help his case in the least. That was how Victor had learned to approach things growing up, with an aura of confidence that was unmatched and suffocating. It had worked. Until he found himself face to face with the floor, unable to push himself back up onto his legs. A roar of laughter met his ears and when he’d looked up, Yuuri was standing there, fidgeting with his wand, his teeth worrying his lower lip. Even after he’d won, he was still nervous. Huh.

Victor made excuses for losing and he’d asked for a rematch several times that day. He didn’t win a single time.

From then on, he’d made it his mission to watch this jittery and insecure boy, his affections developing slowly but surely. Having several classes with him Sixth year just happened to spur him into action. He didn’t regret a bit of it.

***

Three days into summer break and Victor is completely miserable. He’s restless and hasn’t slept much, doesn’t _want_ to sleep much, because nobody is there to comfort him when his dreams turn sour. Not even Makkachin’s presence can lessen the horror of his nightmares. If Mila or Chris had been there, he would have slept happily, but they were gone and they wouldn’t be returning.

He keeps his cellphone’s sound turned on at all times, fearing that he might miss a message from Yuuri, requesting that they call each other. He doesn’t, not a single time, and he’s proud of that, even if it’s only been three days. He’s on his bed, pathetically curled on his side with the phone resting next to his face on his pillow, Makkachin pressed warmly against his back. And he’s so… so tempted to just fall asleep and his eyes are beginning to slip closed-.

The phone lights up a bright blue and Yuuri’s smiling face is in the center of it all, a picture he must have taken recently, as it used to just be the default Skype picture. Victor presses the green ‘answer’ button and waits for the other to speak, remaining quiet, his eyes slipping closed.

“Victor? Are you there?”

Victor hums leisurely in response, but still doesn’t utter a word, nestling himself deeper into his pillow. He keeps one ear situated towards his phone, however, so he doesn’t miss anything important that the other has to say.

“Are you tired? Is - is this a bad time? I can call back later,” Yuuri begins and Victor can picture the nervous expression on the other’s face, knows that his insecurities are flaring up.

“Mmm, no, _krasavchik_. Even if I was, I’d put aside my sleep to speak with you. How was your day?” Victor reassures the other and hears a relieved sigh on the other end of the line.

A bit of shuffling comes through and Victor assumes that Yuuri has made himself more comfortable, before they relax into an easy conversation, full of tender words and whispered “I miss you’s.” He knows he’s pining, which might have been ridiculous to others, seen as how he and Yuuri hadn’t been together for _that_ long. It didn’t matter to him though and he was sure that it didn’t matter much to Yuuri either, since he was being just as sappy about the separation.

“It was okay,” Yuuri finally breathed after a long, but comfortable, moment of silence. “I helped my sister organize the storage room, because my bedroom is currently overflowing with boxes. I think my parents forgot that this room belongs to their _child_ ,” Victor laughs at the other’s tone of voice, sure that Yuuri’s blushing beautifully. “It’s not funny!”

“It is when _you_ tell it,” Victor purrs and he shifts closer to his phone, as if it’s Yuuri himself and not some electronic device. Makkachin snorts and is soon moving herself closer to Victor’s back and he laughs at his dog, before turning his attention back to his cell phone.

There’s more silence and Victor lets himself be swept away by the rhythmic tapping of what he assumes to be Yuuri typing. His boyfriend is mumbling under his breath in a language that Victor has no grasp of - it must be Japanese - but he finds it soothing whether he understands it or not. He’s quickly lulled to sleep by the soft noises, Makkachin’s form warming him thoroughly so he has no need to slip under the blankets.

***

_“Where have you been?” The words are angry and he startles from where he’s slipping off his boots, careful to not let any snow stray from the rug and onto the wooden floor. He looks up at the pale, age-worn face that has become to subject of so many nightmares and he cowers, flinching before the man even has time to raise his hand. Victor can smell the alcohol from where he stands and his eyes quickly glance behind the man and to his mother, who’s watching the situation unfold with a worried gaze._

_“I was just… just - playing at the park,” He lies and he tries to make himself smaller, so maybe the man will leave him alone, so maybe he’ll disappear from sight. It’s never worked before and only seems to make his father angrier, but he can’t help himself._

_He hadn’t been playing at the park. Not once in his ten years of life had he ever fancied it, despite the fact that it was located fairly close to the house. He’d expressed his disinterest in that sort of childish play since he was extremely young. Victor thought that maybe, just maybe, due to his father’s drunken and unstable state, he might forget all of those times he’d spoken against; that his mind might blow right past the statement and he would let it be. Victor was wrong._

_His eyes look to where his mother had been, desperately asking for help with his eyes alone, but she’s gone. The tears well up in his eyes before a rough, calloused hand meets the soft, pale, youthful skin of his cheek._

***

Victor is jolted from sleep and the quickness of the movement startles Makkachin so much, she jumps from the bed, alert. He’s sweating and he picks at his shirt, working to peel the fabric from his skin where it’s particularly uncomfortable. He sighs and pats the bed, his gaze on Makkachin, who gladly takes the opportunity to jump back up. Before she can settle, however, Victor wraps his arms around her and pulls her down, burying his face in her soft fur.

He’d missed being able to seek comfort from his dog, as odd as it may have seemed, but she wasn’t only completely compliant when it came to his cuddling - she was the only good thing that had ever come from his life at home. She made him feel safe, even if he was no longer in the situation that had left him feeling so helpless to begin with.

Victor murmurs words of adoration, before he pulls away from her and slips off of the bed. He turns his phone on to check the time and isn’t all that surprised when he sees it’s nearing 3 AM. Yuuri messaged him at some point and that is enough to lift up Victor’s rather damper mood, as he quickly switches to the Skype application to read them.

 **yuuri** : you started snoring so i hung up~  
**yuuri** : my sister was bothering me to help with the onsen chores anyway  
**yuuri** : i’ll talk to you later. sleep well!

The messages, no matter how simple, warmed Victor straight to the core and he almost purred in delight, before he set his phone down and worked to rid himself of his sweat-soaked clothes. He slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that was a bit too baggy in all of the wrong places, but he couldn’t bring himself to fret over it too much. It’s not like anyone would be seeing him like this anyway.

He crawled back onto his bed and, this time, slipped under the covers. It was warm due to the fact that both his and Makkachin’s bodies had been laying on top of them and he found a bit of comfort in that. He whispered for said canine to move over, but she remained curled where she was, leaving him all but no room. He sighed with slight annoyance, but reached a hand out to scratch behind her ears anyway, before reaching over to his bedside table.

There were stacks of books lining the floor, since he’d decided this was a perfect time to raid the library, and his current read was a book about magical creatures. It was information-based and didn’t have much excitement or adventure to it, but Victor enjoyed it nonetheless. It gave him something to do, even if it wasn’t extravagant or terribly interesting.

It’s better than getting wrapped up in his own thoughts.

***

_The man at the door is terrifying. Not like his father, far from it, and Victor can’t help but feel sort of safe at his sudden presence. The top of his head in completely void of hair, but there’s a bit of grey on the back and sides. He’s thick, his coat straining on his chest each time he exhales, seeming as if it might burst at any moment. He’s not particularly tall and his face seems to be stuck in a permanent scowl, his blue eyes almost void of any life. Victor doesn’t say anything and just clutches the door, staring up at the burly man._

_“Who’s at the door?” A voice bellows and Victor looks behind him, into the living room where his father is seated in his recliner. He could easily see the stranger if he turned, but his dark eyes are far too focused on his television program._

_Victor opens his mouth to speak, but is caught off by the strange man in front of him, and his attention quickly snaps to the one now speaking. “Professor Yakov Feltsman. I’ve come to deliver Victor Nikiforov’s letter from Hogwarts and to divulge the details of the school and what it is we teach.”_

_Perfect Russian. Victor never would have guessed that the man was a Russian Native. Huh. He stayed hung up on that detail for a moment, before his mind fully processed what this man had said. He was about to speak again, but silence met his ears and he realized that his father had turned off the TV and was now standing directly behind him. He closed his mouth so quickly that he bit the tip of his tongue. He made a soft noise of anguish, before quieting himself completely._

_“What in the fuck is Hogwarts?”_

_***_

_In the short span of time that this man, Yakov, has been here, Victor has become comfortable in a way he didn’t know existed. He wasn’t in the room, because his father had spat at him to leave, before settling back in his recliner. His mother was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking on with timid interest. He, on the other hand, was perched on the stairs, leaning forward so he could catch most of the conversation._

_Witches and wizards, Yakov had said and his father had laughed; a full belly, bitter laugh that soon turned into an angry sneer. Victor couldn’t help but wince at the sound, but when he leaned to his right to get a look at the situation, Yakov seemed to be unperturbed by it. The young Russian boy felt a bit of courage filter itself back into his body at the sight._

_“There’s no such thing as magic. What kind of fool do you take me for?” Rand snorts, leaning forward in his chair, eyes gleaming dangerously. A shiver runs up Victor’s spine and he briefly fears for this… Professor’s safety, before he realizes that Yakov isn’t as helpless as himself._

_“There is a such thing. As for your question, I don’t think you’d like my answer to that,” Yakov replies and his tone is steely, his face blank. Victor almost gasps and cups a hand over his mouth to prevent himself from doing so, biting at his palm instead. He’s almost shaking with nerves and anticipation, because nobody challenges his father like that. Not a single man that knew him would be brave enough to do so._

_Yet, here this man was, looking as if it wasn’t a big deal._

_Rand, on the other hand, is completely livid. Victor watches as his face shifts from mild annoyance to pure unadulterated rage. His nostrils are flaring, his face becoming an ugly red, his hands balled up into fists from where they were placed on the arms of the recliner. Victor wants to escape up into his room, just in case, but he can’t tear his eyes away from the scene._

_“I’ll be taking Victor with me to the school. Classes start in four days and seen as how he has none of the necessary supplies to attend Hogwarts, I will be purchasing them for him. I’d advise that you don’t try to fight me on this, Mr. Nikiforov, because I will not back down from a coward like you,” Yakov says after a moment of tense, deafening silence. Victor does gasp then and the sound is muffled by his hand, but it’s a sound nonetheless. The attention of the adults is quickly diverted to him and he’s starting to crawl his way up the stairs when a gruff voice calls out to him. “Pack your things, Vitya.”_

_Victor turns briefly and meets this stranger’s gaze, before he nods and scrambles up the steps. It may have been foolish, trusting this man who had come in spewing things about magic and witches and wizards, but Victor was desperate for an escape. For anything that would take him away from this house and the people who were supposed to love him unconditionally, but didn’t._

_He didn’t own a suitcase, he realized, as he went fumbling through his closet, pulling out everything he thought might have been necessary. He’d shut his door, but he could hear the muted shouting coming from downstairs. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Rand doing the majority of it. Makkachin was peacefully asleep on his bed, unaware of the commotion going on downstairs, and he smiled, before he pulled out his school bag and dumped its contents onto the floor._

_He put whatever he could into the bag, mostly clothes, since he didn’t know what else was exactly essential to a… wizarding world. He shouldered the bag and gripped the straps tightly, prodding Makkachin in the side. The poodle raised her head and she rolled onto her back, expecting more affection from her owner. Victor shook his head, however, and urged for her to follow him. She did after several long moments of stretching._

_The ten year-old made his way down the stairs with his canine at his heels, her tail wagging excessively. He pressed himself to the wall and peeked his head out, judging whether or not it was safe to enter the living room. His father stood looking incredibly disheveled and far angrier than he had been before, but Yakov was still sitting like an emotionless statue on the couch, watching the other man with disinterest._

_The grey-haired man turned to look at him and motioned him over. He cautiously stepped out and hurriedly placed himself behind Yakov, Makkachin pushing at his legs with her head. She wanted attention, but Victor was too wrapped up in what was going on to give her it._

_Yakov stood from the couch and Victor watched as he eyed up Rand, before he turned his gaze to Victor. His eyes landed on Makkachin and he sighed, showing a smidge of feelings for the first time since he’d arrived. “You can’t bring the dog.”_

_Victor stared at Yakov, dumbfounded, his mouth going dry and his eyes growing wet. “I-I can’t leave her here,” He murmured and his voice had become a needy, pleading whine. He’d glanced at his father, hoping that Yakov would understand, but he simply shook his head. He seemed to be unaffected by Victor’s pathetic display._

_“I’ve broken enough rules coming here and I’ll be walking on a thin line for quite some time. Bringing her to the school would not only cause more trouble for me, but for the Headmistress as well. Everybody would like to bring their dog along. We can’t let one person do it and refuse to let others,” Yakov explained, his voice oddly soft but still holding onto the gruff quality._

_The silver-haired boy let his mouth fall open, but it snapped closed a moment later. He wiped angrily at the tears that had fallen from his eyes and nodded, before kneeling down in front of his companion, burying his hands in the fur at her neck. “Be a good girl. I’ll come back for you, okay?” His voice wavers and he nearly laughs when Makkachin licks a stripe up his cheek, good naturedly._

_He stood a moment later, not wanting to draw out his pain, and turned to Yakov. The older man nodded gruffly and turned, making his way towards the door. Victor spared a glance at his father, but he was sitting back down, eyes on the television, volume at max. Having the man completely disinterested in his leaving was far easier than being forced to say goodbye as if Victor cared for him._

_The boy was standing in the doorway and he’d meant to look back at Makkachin one last time, but his gaze had met his mother’s instead and he’d faltered. She’d never protected him and had instead left the room whenever his father lost it. He couldn’t help that he was angry with her, hated her sometimes. But, those feelings dulled and he ran to her, wrapping his arms around her middle, pressing his face to the rough fabric of her dress._

_“I’ll come back for you too,” He whispers, so that only he can hear the promise. He knows it’s impossible, but he can’t help but promise her it anyway, even if she doesn’t know about it. A wet kiss is pressed to the top of his head and he realizes she’s crying. He looks up at her, nods, and without another word, disappears out the door with the strange man bringing news of a magic world._

***

“Makkachin, leave the birds alone!” Victor exclaims in frustration, but the poodle turns her head, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth, before she’s happily chasing after the crows. The Russian shakes his head in exasperation and follows after her at a leisurely pace, enjoying the warmer weather. He doesn’t really mind, in all honesty, because he knows that despite her puppy-like energy, her body has grown weaker over the years and she’d never be able to catch one of the poor creatures.

He soon sits down on the somewhat damp grass, legs stretched out in front of him, arms holding the rest of his body upright. He’s bathing in the sunlight, his eyes closed, a pleasant smile on his face. Perhaps being alone over the summer wasn’t that bad. Not when he could experience quiet and peaceful moments like this. The silence is quickly broken, however, and he jumps slightly when his phone unexpectedly begins to let out a familiar tone.

Yuuri’s calling him.

Victor frowns and looks at the time, before he answers and is met with a dark room. Yuuri’s features are just barely visible due to the light on his phone, but it’s certainly not enough. Victor doesn’t say anything about that, however, and gets ready to scold Yuuri.

“Isn’t it one AM there, Yuuri? You shouldn’t be calling me,” He states and Yuuri shifts, grumbling inaudibly. He can’t help but let a fond smile turn his lips upwards as he gazes at the screen, humming pleasantly when the camera is moved and he can see the other a bit better. He looks completely disheveled, as if he’s just waking up, and Victor wants to squeak in delight. Yuuri is just too adorable.

“I wen’ to sleep early so I could call you. Setan alarm,” The raven-haired man informs Victor, speech slurred from sleep. He must not have woken up that long ago.

“You’re just going to fall asleep again, _krasavchik_ ,” Victor purrs and earns a displeased and whiney noise from Yuuri, who’s pulling the blankets up over his head. “There’s no way you’ll make it more than thirty minutes.”

“Will too!” Yuuri exclaims from beneath his comforter and Victor laughs. He finally gives up on keeping himself propped up and falls back against the ground, holding his phone over his face. He watches as Yuuri peeks his face out of the blankets, before withdrawing back into the warmth. The quickness of the movement didn’t make Victor miss the fact that he was blushing.

“Did you sleep good, at least?” Victor questions and a portion of the blanket moves rapidly, likely signaling that Yuuri is nodding his head. He confirms Victor’s assumption a moment later with a hoarse “yeah” and Victor hums in approval.

A bit of conversation is exchanged between the two, Yuuri’s answers short and yawn-filled. Victor doesn’t mind much, however, because the other is far too adorable for him to be bothered. He’s right - he knew that he would be - as it only takes about twenty minutes for Yuuri’s soft snoring to fill his ears and he smirks. He hangs up after a few moments and swipes to the left on his phone, bringing up their messages.

 **vitya** : told you~~  
**vitya** : let me know when you’re actually awake and i’ll call you back  
**vitya** : i’ve gotta go save some birds from makkachin now  
**vitya** : sleep well

Victor props himself back up with his arms and watches Makkachin with nothing but adoration, his eyes soft and expression peaceful. It’d been almost torture being separated from his beloved companion for so long. When he’d arrived in Russia, she hadn’t even been at the house. He’d check, briefly, knowing that his father wouldn’t be home and she was nowhere to be found. For a brief moment, he’d assumed the worst.

Then there was a happy bark and a warm, brown body launching itself at him, effectively pushing him to the ground. She’d been filthy, but really no worse for wear, and her enthusiasm hadn’t changed since the last time he’d saw her. It had made the whole ordeal worth it, in the end.

Seeming to be finally fed up with failing at catching the birds, she trots back over and flops down beside him, placing her head carelessly on his thigh. He lifts one hand from the ground and scratches behind her ear, laughing quietly as she rolls over onto her back, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth goofily. He can’t help the smile that makes its way onto his face because, for once, he’s actually enjoying his summer break.

***

Victor was fidgeting nervously. Victor Nikiforov _did not_ fidget. Not ever. Not under any circumstances. And yet, here he was.

He’d gotten out his laptop after what felt like centuries for this occasion specifically and it was perched on his lap, screen adjusted so it had a good view of his face. He was staring at olive green walls and nothing else, since Yuuri had left the room to go grab his mother. His _mother_. Though it wasn’t an official meeting, Victor had insisted that Yuuri’s mother at least know the _face_ of the guy her son was dating. Despite the fact that it was _his_ idea, he was still nervous.

Soon enough, rapid and excited Japanese met his ear and the voice certainly didn’t belong to Yuuri. The string of language that Victor didn’t understand was quickly followed by a second voice - that was Yuuri - but a pleasant looking woman was soon in front of the camera, cutting whatever his beloved was saying off.

“ _Kon'nichiwa_ , Vicchan! _Hajimemashite_ ,” She exclaimed and he sat in stunned silence, before he gathered his wits and returned the first part of the greeting, feeling a bit silly. Yuuri’s mother didn’t seem to mind, however, as her smile only widened and she began to speak excitedly in Japanese. Victor understood none of it.

Yuuri came into the frame a moment later and whispered something in his mother’s ear, effectively cutting her off. Her expression quickly morphed into one of sympathy and she nodded at her son, before looking at the camera, her enthusiasm not dulled in the slightest.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Vicchan! Yuuri hasn’t stopped talking about you once since he told us,” She chirped in heavily-accented English. Yuuri sputtered behind her, his cheeks dusted a pretty red, exclaiming something in Japanese. His mother ignored him, it seemed, and continued her conversation with Victor. While her English was a bit broken in a few places, Victor was rather impressed. Yuuri had said that both his parents only spoke English when it was necessary, so they hadn’t bothered to learn it fully.

“All good things I hope,” Victor responded and the stressed look on his face quickly melted into an easy smile. The rest of his body noticeably relaxed as well and he pushed a hand through his hair in an attempt to make it look more presentable. It ended up just falling back over his eyes. Makkachin peeked her head over curiously and that seemed to do Yuuri’s mother in, as she turned to Yuuri and shouted at him excitedly. The only word he caught was ‘Vicchan,’ which he had assumed was a Japanese variation of his name.

“ _Okaasan_ ,” Yuuri had groaned, his face colored a deep crimson now.

It carried on like this for a while, Victor making easy conversation with Mama Katsuki, while Yuuri stood in the background, blushing. She was soon pulled away by a shouting voice and she bid them both farewell, but not before she murmured something that had Yuuri sputtering again.

“What’d she say?” Victor questions, his voice a sated hum.

“D-don’t worry about it!” Yuuri stutters out as he slides into the seat his mother had previously occupied. Victor laughs at his embarrassment and pushes the laptop from his lap, opting to lay on his stomach in front of the camera instead. It was much comfier and wouldn’t cause his legs to fall asleep.

Yuuri’s blush died down eventually and they chatted, Victor’s head laid on his crossed arms. Yuuri was rambling about Phichit, who had apparently tried to leave England without _anybody_ knowing to see Seung-gil, but he’d been caught at the last second. How he’d managed to buy tickets on his own, neither of them wanted to know.

“He’s such a romantic,” Victor breathed and fluttered his eyelashes dramatically, pulling a snort from Yuuri. “Would you ever try to sneak out of your country for me, Yuuri~?” He cooes and Yuuri looks up from his phone briefly, before shaking his head. “What?!” The Russian asks, doing his best to sound offended. In reality, he’d expected that answer.

“I’m an awful liar, so I’d get caught immediately and don’t like flying alone, so I’d be a wreck the entire time and would look awful when I got there,” Yuuri rationalized and looked back down at his phone, ignoring the heavy sigh that Victor let out.

“You could’ve been romantic about your answer. _I_ would sneak out of my country for _you_ ,” Victor whines and with the way Yuuri wasn’t really paying attention he should have expected a not-well-thought-out answer.

“You don’t have parents to catch you,” Is the sting-inducing response and Victor’s happy expression falls almost immediately. Yuuri quickly realizes his mistake and looks up from his phone, stuttering out an apology as best he can. Victor waves him off and forces a smile onto his face, assuring the other that it’s okay. However, he’s sure that Yuuri notices his dampened mood for the rest of the time that they’re talking.

“I think I’m going to go to bed, now. Stressful day and whatnot,” Victor states and he wants to wince at how dry his own tone is. Yuuri nods solemnly, but stops Victor before he can hang up, his voice coming out timid, almost upset.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that right? My mouth just got ahead of me and I didn’t really think about what I was saying. I know I shouldn’t be making excuses, because it was really insensitive and I don’t want you to go to bed upset with me, because you would never let _me_ go to bed upset with y-.” He’s rambling, Victor realizes, and he puts an end to it with an exhale of the other’s name.

“It’s okay, _krasavchik_ ,” Victor murmurs in an attempt to reassure the other, but Yuuri is shaking his head the moment words leave his mouth.

“It’s not okay. It hurt you which makes it not okay a-and I’m sorry. Whether I meant it or not, that doesn’t matter, because it _hurt_ you,” Yuuri insists firmly, though his voice is shaking by the sheer force of his emotions.

“Yuuri,” Victor states and this time, there’s no break in his voice, no weakness. “It’s _okay_. I forgive you. It’s okay.”

Yuuri nods after a few moments and clears his throat, looking down at his lap. Victor watches him and sighs, thinking about how he can get the other’s mood up before he goes to bed. “I miss you,” He breathes and the other looks up, mouth opening, but Victor raises a finger to his lips to quiet him. “And I don’t want you to be upset over this. Things just slip out sometimes, mistakes are made, but I still miss you. Far more than you know,” Victor hums and lets his hand fall to the bed.

“I miss you too,” Yuuri replies and his tone is a bit lighter, his face less upset. “You should sleep now, yeah? It’s what, almost one AM?” Victor nods and punctuates the action with a yawn, before flopping his face down onto his hands. “I’ll call you later, then. Let me know when you’re awake,” Yuuri tells him and Victor nods, planning to be nothing but obedient. The call ends there and Victor slips his laptop under his bed once it’s shut down and slips himself under his blankets, curling up around Makkachin.

It doesn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

***

_Another nightmare. He’s been experiencing them for most of his life and has learned how to suffer through them alone, has discovered certain methods that help him cope. But, this particular nightmare leaves his entire body hurting, his clothes soaked with sweat, his body letting loose tremors, whimpers flowing freely from his lips._

_He wakes to the sudden feeling of hands on him and yelps in his half-asleep stupor, trying to hit them away as best he can. He’s breathing heavily, his chest heaving with each painful inhale and exhale, and when his vision finally blurs he doesn’t see his father at the side of the bed. No, he sees a boy who’s a tad bit bigger than him with curly blonde hair and expressive green eyes. He stares at the boy incredulously and isn’t sure what to say._

_“‘M sorry for waking you,” He finally mumbles and tries to insert himself under his blankets, but a hand on his arm stops him. He looks back up at the dorm mate that he hasn’t taken the time to get to know yet. He can’t even remember his name, though that goes for everyone else who’s currently asleep as well._

_“Whatever you’re afraid of, you don’t have to be afraid of it anymore. Everyone here will protect you,” The boy whispers, his voice thickly accented. His gaze never falters and he holds Victor’s, his eyes reflecting so much sincerity that the Russian can’t help but believe him, can’t help but trust him. He nods in response and the blonde smiles softly, before crawling up onto the bed._

_“W-what are you doing?” Victor asks, scooching away from the intruder. Blonde-accent boy looks up at him as if he’s stupid, but his movements don’t stop and soon he’s under Victor’s blankets. Victor is almost immediately drawn to the heat the other’s body exudes, because he misses Makkachin desperately, especially at night when the bed is cold and his thoughts are dark._

_“Sometimes it helps to have someone next to you when you sleep, especially if you have nightmares. Or, at least, that’s my experience,” His roommate chirps quietly and settles himself back onto the pillows, showing not an ounce of bashfulness. Victor stares at him incredulously, fingers running over the soft fabric of the blanket as he watches the other. The blonde looks up at him and raises his eyebrows expectantly, patting the pillow space beside his own head. Victor lays down cautiously, though keeps a fair amount of distance between the two of them. The other smiles brightly._

_“I’m Christophe, by the way. Most people call me Chris, so I’ll expect that you do the same,” He whispers and gives a name to the face, which Victor is grateful for. It made it seem less awkward now that he knew something about the other._

_“I’m Victor,” He murmurs back in response. He stares up at the ceiling and Chris doesn’t say anything else. When Victor looks over, the other boy is asleep and Victor watches him for a few moments, finding it odd that he had just climbed into somebody else’s bed like it wasn’t a big deal. But, the comfort, Victor found, was surprisingly welcome and he slept soundly for the rest of the night._

_There wasn’t even a hint of a nightmare._

***

Victor wakes alone that night.

Well, not entirely, seen as how Makkachin is pressed to his back tightly, but the familiar body of _Chris_ isn’t there to calm his post-nightmare panic. Nobody is there to do that. He rides through it alone and tries to ignore the places on his body that ache with remembrance; the left side of his rib cage, his jaw, the bridge of his nose, his lower back.

He sits up and presses his hands to his face, rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to keep them from growing wet. It works, for the most part, and he’s soon laying back down. His eyes are on the ceiling again and he wishes that Chris was there to talk about his ass or something. Anything that would take his mind off of the nightmare. He’s not, so Victor reverts back to what he used to do when he was alone in his bedroom, terrified of making so much as a squeak.

He wraps his arms around Makkachin and pulls the snoozing dog to his chest, nuzzling his face into the hair at her neck. She doesn’t move, doesn’t make a single sound, because, despite their time apart, Victor assumes that she’s still used to this. She knows the routine and isn’t disturbed by it in the least. He threads his fingers through her curly fur and the room becomes warm, no longer hollow and cold like the dream he’d experienced.

The familiarity of his canine pressed to his chest is enough to lull him back to sleep, though it doesn’t keep the nightmares at bay. He wakes on several more occasions that night.

***

_“Vitya, stop slacking and fly,” Yakov demands from where he’s standing, his arms crossed over his chest. Victor can see the frustration on his Professor, and now, coach’s face, and he wants to crumble to the ground and just give up. Because, how does Yakov not get it? He can’t fly on this stupid broomstick._

_It seems like they’ve been at it for hours now and he barely managed to get the broom to lift off the ground and into his hand. Now, he’s kicking desperately off the ground, cursing in Russian as if he’s an older man and not an almost eleven year-old boy, but he’s not making any sort of progress. Finally, he gives up and tosses the broom away from him, watching as it clatters to the ground, before he settles himself down on the grass, picking at it bitterly._

_“You’re not listening,” Yakov grumbles and Victor scoffs at him, not answering. He can’t do it, so he’s not going to try anymore. There’s no point. Yakov, however, is soon standing in front of him. Victor looks up just before he’s hoisted up by his armpits and marched over to where the broom lies, neglected, on the ground. “Yeshche raz,” Yakov states as he places Victor on his feet beside it, before he takes a step back and resumes his earlier position. Victor bites his tongue, wanting to curse and shout at his professor, but he simply reaches down and picks up the broom miserably. He’s not going to bother trying to get it back up to his hand._

_He swings a leg over the broom and, for the hundredth time that afternoon, tries to kick off the ground. Except this time, it works. He’s only able to balance on it for a minute at the most and he’s wobbling like crazy, just a foot or so off the ground, before he loses his balance and slips off. He lands directly on his back and groans, rolling over onto his stomach. Despite the pain, he’s feeling giddy, accomplished and when he looks up to see Yakov smiling, that feeling only grows._

***

Victor receives mail the next day from an elegant white owl that he recognizes immediately.

Katja was a temperamental thing who didn’t like anyone touching her, save for the one who’d bought her. Victor couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face as Chris’ owl dropped a neatly folded package in front of him. The Russian admired the packaging for a few moments, before he took his time unwrapping it.

The box was filled to the brim with sweets and Victor hummed happily, pulling each item out and placing them down on the large table around him. He studied them for a few moments, before his eyes turned back to the box. There was a baby blue card lying at the bottom, next to two items wrapped in tissue paper that was almost the exact same color. He reached for the card first and peeled it open, slipping it out of the envelope.

The design was minimalistic, but utterly Chris, and he flipped it open to read what the other had to say.

_Dear Victor,_

_I hope summer has treated you well so far. I know it must be lonely in that big castle all by yourself, but I’m sure you’re making the best of it! I’m enjoying my time back home, since I haven’t been back in the seven years I attended Hogwarts. You already knew that, though._

_I figured that if your summer was turning out to be dull, it wouldn’t hurt for me to send a few things. It’s all muggle candy, since I know you’re not a big fan of most in the wizarding world, and I tasted each brand before I sent them to you. I’m sure you’ll find them just as delightful as I did._

_My job has worked out quite well thus far and I’d mention details, but it’s a bit… explicit and I wouldn’t want to scar you for life. Speaking of explicit, the two items that are individually wrapped serve an entirely different purpose than the candy, depending on the way you look at it, I suppose. Be safe with that little boyfriend of yours. If he hurts you, I’ll call Mila and have her bring a dragon to devour him._

_Best Wishes,_ _  
_ _Chris._

Victor had been smiling up until the last few lines and he frowned, his attention quickly flitting to the remaining two items. He set the card down and reached over haphazardly. Luckily, nothing moved and he wasn’t injured upon touching either of them, so he exhaled deeply and placed them in front of him. He pulled back the thin paper just enough to see what it was and covered it up immediately, glancing around as if somebody was there to peek over his shoulder at the object.

He let out a heavy breath, his cheeks dusted red, before he was fully unwrapping a bottle of _lube_. If anyone was capable of embarrassing him from nearly eight-hundred miles away, it was Chris. He was less flustered when he discovered the second object was a box of condoms that were a cluster of different sizes. Victor put them back in the box as quickly as he could manage, followed by the candy. He used the sweets to cover up Chris’ _oh-so-thoughtful_ gifts, before he returned to his reading.

***

Victor shivers as chilled water licks at his toes, the breeze making his clothes sway delicately across his pale skin. Makkachin is snapping at something that he can’t see, happy little yips leaving her every few minutes. He watches for a few moments, before his eyes turn back to the dark water of the Great Lake, watching as the wind causes ripples to form.

The summer has passed by quickly, just like Victor had promised Yuuri, and he was eager for the castle to be filled with life once again. Which, also meant he was happy he would be seeing Yuuri in less than a week. Classes would be gruelling and he would be stressed to the point of wanting to rip his hair out, but he would be surrounded by warmth and love. That was enough for him.

The world is quiet for the most part - besides Makkachin’s barking, which has become more frequent - and his mind can’t help but drift to a place he tries to avoid. The memories make him ache, make him hurt, make him long to slip into a darkness that will never end.

They’re dark and unwelcome in his mind and have no place in his life now. Not when he’s surrounded by people who love him like he’s their blood, their family. Not when he’s treated as someone larger than life, rather than someone who’s impossibly small. Not when the people in those memories caused him nothing but pain and suffering.

Over the span of several long moments the hurtful words that scream _you’re useless_ and _nobody will ever love you_ morph into soft, lazy whispers of _I could never leave you_ and _we’re so proud_. Stinging slaps and bruising punches turn into the brush of hands through his hair and a tight hug of congratulations. The snarling, aged face of his father turns into the bright-eyed, blushing face of Yuuri. The bad turns into the good, the pain starts to heal.

Victor pushes himself up off the ground and whistles for Makkachin, a sated smile on his face. Things would be okay from then on, even if there were times when the hurt surfaced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> author's thoughts behind random things:
> 
> 1.) so, the flashbacks. when i first started to write this chapter i had a plan to involve nothing but the bad things in victor's past, because they do play a role in his personality now. but, as i started writing i realized that while that would impact him for the rest of his life, so would other things and they wouldn't have to all be bad. yakov whisking him off to hogwarts, meeting chris, flying on a broom successfully for the first time, they're all good things that lead him to be who he is present time.
> 
> 2.) the lube/condoms thing. i was laughing over it the entire time i wrote it. there's really no significance to that scene, but i feel bad for not having written chris out (i love him sm) and i wanted to display the sort of relationship victor has with him. and sometimes you just need a break from all the angst and shit. (and if i ever decide to write smut in this fic we will be prepared !!)
> 
> 3.) the last sequence is my favorite. because not only does it reflect how yuuri has made victor happy, but also how his friends and yakov have. because platonic/familial love is just as important and powerful as romantic and i will stand by that statement for the rest of my life.
> 
> once again, if there are mistakes with the russian/japanese please yell at me. i appreciate it tons !!!
> 
> up next: yuuri returns to hogwarts and is smothered by a large, russian man and his equally excited poodle, a first year idolizes yuuri, and phichit injures himself.


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